This brightening treatment is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
This brightening sheet mask is formulated around Salicylic Acid and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Silica
Abrasive
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citral
Perfuming
Water
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitronellol
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Mica, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Ascorbic Acid, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Parfum, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Polysilicone-11, Linalool, Limonene, Silica, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Water, Hexyl Cinnamal, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Citronellol, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Gluconate
Chelating3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Propanediol, Sodium Citrate, Benzyl Alcohol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Citric Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Parfum, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Benzoate is usually created from the condensation of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. It is used as a preservative, solvent, and has a floral/balsamic scent in large amounts.
As a preservative, Benzyl Benzoate works against bacteria and fungus. It is often used to treat scabies and lice in medicine.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Due to its fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate can be sensitizing and may cause contact dermatitis. It is a known EU allergen. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Benzyl Benzoate can be naturally found in cranberries and peaches.
Learn more about Benzyl BenzoateGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolThis extract comes from the camu camu berry and is known for its exceptionally high vitamin C content.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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 Water
