What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentPhytonadione Epoxide
AstringentRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Cholecalciferol
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Coffee Seed Oil PEG-8 Esters
Emollient
Chamomilla Vulgaris Extract
Skin ProtectingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ubiquinone, Thioctic Acid, Punica Granatum Extract, Phytonadione Epoxide, Retinyl Palmitate, Cholecalciferol, Retinol, Resveratrol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Coffee Seed Oil PEG-8 Esters, Chamomilla Vulgaris Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Jojoba Esters, Tocopheryl Acetate, Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil, Panthenol, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingIsohexadecane
EmollientLaureth-7
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Water
Skin ConditioningAllantoin, Ascorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Isohexadecane, Laureth-7, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Retinyl Palmitate, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneThis ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.
Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.
Human patch tests with a facial lotion containing 1% of this ingredient found no sensitization.
Learn more about Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone CrosspolymerRetinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
