What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Glycerin
Humectant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Citric Acid, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycerin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diisooctyl Succinate
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Diisooctyl Succinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Carnosine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Phytosterols, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
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
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 GlycerinPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a texture enhancer and pH adjuster.
It is be used to thicken water-based products and create a gel-texture with a velvet feel.
One manufacturer claims this ingredient to have a pH range of 2-8 and to be biodegradable.
This ingredient is also known as Sepimax Zen.
Learn more about Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6Water. 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
