This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.
This smoothing serum is formulated around Gluconolactone and Squalane to refine skin texture and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingZinc PCA
Humectant
Phyllostachys Bambusoides Juice
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhyllostachys Bambusoides Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Scrophularia Nodosa Extract
Skin ConditioningCapsicum Annuum Fruit Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Villosa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Equisetum Giganteum Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Gluconolactone, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Zinc PCA, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Juice, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Scrophularia Nodosa Extract, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Equisetum Giganteum Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Lactobacillus Ferment, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ceteareth-20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Beta-Glucan, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Citronellol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexyl Cinnamal
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Pentylene 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 GlycolWater. 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 WaterZinc PCA is a clever two-in-one molecule: the zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA).
Think of it as two useful things bonded together; the PCA half is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors (NMF) so it helps hold water in the upper layers. On the other hand, the zinc half does the heavy lifting on oil and bacteria.
The zinc part slows down an enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more sebum. Less of that signal means less oil. It also gently fights acne-causing bacteria and soothes redness/irritation.
This is why Zinc PCA often shows up in products for oily, breakout-prone skin and greasy scalps.
One lab study also hinted it might have a small anti-aging perk because it seemed to protect collagen from UVA damage and even helped the skin make a bit more of it. That last bit is still early research done in a dish and not real skin, so take it as a nice bonus rather than a promise for now.
As for scar healing, the picture is more "maybe" than a firm yes. Zinc itself plays a real role in wound repair because it is a cofactor for the enzymes involved in collagen building, calming inflammation, and helping new skin cells cover a wound. Lower zinc levels are also linked to slower healing.
Most of the scar healing research is on zinc oxide or oral zinc rather than zinc PCA specifically, with a focus on healing fresh wounds instead of scars that are already there.
Direct evidence that zinc PCA improves the look of established scars is still limited at this time. Though it would be fair to say zinc PCA supports the general skin-repair environment thanks to its zinc content .
This ingredient is water-soluble and plays nicely with other actives like niacinamide and salicylic acid. It works best at mildly acidic formulas (~4-6 pH) and is effective at low levels. Around 0.1% is enough to be active and finished products commonly use it anywhere up to 4%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-drama multitasker that suits oily and acne-prone skin.
Learn more about Zinc PCA
