What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Triethanolamine
Buffering3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGluconobacter/Honey Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Galactoarabinan
Bis-PEG-15 Methyl Ether Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningPiper Methysticum Root
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Malic Acid
Buffering
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit
Astringent
Viola Tricolor Extract
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlteromonas Ferment Filtrate
HumectantLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Skin ConditioningBacillus
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningWater, Mandelic Acid, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Triethanolamine, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Citrate, Gluconobacter/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Galactoarabinan, Bis-PEG-15 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Piper Methysticum Root, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower, Rosa Canina Fruit, Viola Tricolor Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Bacillus, Glycerin, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Niacinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin
Water
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinMandelic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
Like other AHAs, it helps exfoliate the surface of the skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
Mandelic acid helps with:
Due to it having a larger molecular size than glycolic acid, mandelic acid is able to penetrate the skin more slowly and evenly. This makes it gentler and less irritating, making it a great option for sensitive or beginner skin.
Despite being milder, mandelic acid is still an effective exfoliant that improves skin texture and tone over time.
What makes mandelic acid stand out from other AHAs? It has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
These traits make it a great option for acne-prone or problem skin by reducing active breakouts and fading post-acne marks. Studies show that mandelic acid (especially when combined with salicylic acid) can significantly reduce pimples and hyperpigmentation while causing fewer side effects than stronger acids.
Mandelic acid is effective in concentrations of 5% and up with an ideal pH range of 3-4 for at-home use.
Like other AHAs, it’s important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your newly exfoliated skin.
However, unlike glycolic acid, mandelic acid is light-sensitive. Be sure your mandelic acid is packaged in opaque containers to ensure it stays stable and effective.
In short, mandelic acid is a gentle yet powerful AHA that exfoliates, brightens, and helps clarify skin while keeping irritation low. Its antibacterial action makes it especially beneficial for those with acne-prone, sensitive, or uneven skin, offering smoother, clearer, and more even-toned results over time.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Mandelic AcidPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
