U beauty Resurfacing Compound Versus Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum
This smoothing serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Ectoin and Copper Tripeptide-1 to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventCitric Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glutathione
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingHydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycolic Acid, Superoxide Dismutase, Lactobionic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutathione, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Mandelic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Linolenic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carnitine
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Oxidized Glutathione
EmollientErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningCopper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Methylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Ectoin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Panthenol, Carnitine, Tocopherol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Oxidized Glutathione, Ergothioneine, Tropolone, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Saccharide Isomerate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Sclerotium Gum, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
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 GlycerinPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
