What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyacrylic Acid
Emulsion StabilisingAgar
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glutathione
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Aluminum Glycinate
AstringentCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingWater, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyacrylic Acid, Agar, Niacinamide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tranexamic Acid, Kojic Acid, Arbutin, Alpha-Arbutin, Caffeine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glutathione, Adenosine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tartaric Acid, Aluminum Glycinate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Ceratonia Siliqua Gum
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAgar
MaskingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Polyacrylic Acid
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Chloride
Aluminum Glycinate
AstringentSodium Phytate
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Caffeine, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Tartaric Acid, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Agar, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polyacrylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Aluminum Glycinate, Sodium Phytate, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Agar is the vegan substitute for animal-gelatin. It helps thicken and improve the texture of cosmetics. It comes from cell-walls of red algae.
We don't have a description for Aluminum Glycinate yet.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWe don't have a description for Polyacrylic Acid yet.
Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Tartaric acid is an AHA with exfoliating and antioxidant properties. It is found in many fruits, such as tamarind, grapes, bananas, and avocados.
AHAs provide chemical exfoliation, helping to improve skin tone and texture.
Tartaric acid is not as well studied as other AHAs, such as glycolic acid.
Learn more about Tartaric AcidWater. 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
