What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arbutin, Glycereth-26, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Cyanocobalamin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
