This smoothing toner is formulated around Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice and Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening toner is formulated around Salix Alba Bark Extract and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Chelating
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Sodium Dodoxynol-40 Sulfate
Surfactant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingCitric Acid
Buffering
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Gluconolactone, Water, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Sodium Dodoxynol-40 Sulfate, Sorbic Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Diglycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
ChelatingBetula Alba Juice
AstringentMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Benzaldehyde
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they don’t penetrate as deeply. This means they’re less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skin’s microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the product’s pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.
On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateSodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateWater. 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
