What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carrageenan
Citric Acid
Buffering
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Sulfate
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Mannose
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingVitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Water, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Adenosine, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylyl Glycol, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Yeast Extract, Glycerin, Lactobacillus, Magnesium Sulfate, Maltodextrin, Mannose, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Vitreoscilla Ferment
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMannose
HumectantPolysorbate 21
Emulsifying
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Bifida Ferment Lysate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Aminomethyl Propanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Mannose, Polysorbate 21, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Yeast Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Limonene, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus, Linalool, Citral, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
Ascorbyl Glucoside (AA-2G) is one of the most stable vitamin C derivatives out there.
It's made by attaching a glucose molecule to ascorbic acid; this glucose "cap" shields the vitamin C from air, light, heat, and metal ions that normally cause pure ascorbic acid to oxidize.
Once on your skin, the enzyme alpha-glucosidase snips off the glucose and gradually releases active ascorbic acid right where it's needed. Basically, it behaves like a slow-release pro-vitamin C with less of a stinging that high-strength ascorbic acid can cause.
The research supports the classic vitamin C benefits as well. In lab and human studies, AA-2G slowed down the skin's production of melanin (the pigment behind dark spots) and helped shield skin cells against sun damage better than ascorbyl phosphate.
These studies also showed AA-2G released vitamin C over a longer period.
A frequently cited manufacturer trial found that a 2% AA-2G face cream significantly improved wrinkle depth and skin roughness after 45 days.
And in 2009, a clinical trial showed it meaningfully lightened dark patches on the gums compared to a placebo.
There's also collagen-synthesis support (since vitamin C is a required cofactor for that) and an antioxidant effect too.
Typical usage is usually between 0.5-5% and most studies/products land around 2%.
AA-2G performs best when formulated at a mildly acidic pH (~5-7) which is much gentler than the pH that pure vitamin C demands (~2.5-3.5).
Just one thing worth knowing: the in-skin conversation rate is only about 55-60% by weight. So a 5% AA-2G product delivers roughly 2.75-3% of actual active vitamin C. On top of that, skin absorption is relatively low because the ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Ascorbyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactobacillus is the INCI name for the live, whole lactic bacteria culture itself and is classified as a skin conditioning agent.
It is the same genus of probiotic that you can find in yogurt or fermented foods and it shows up at low levels naturally on human skin.
This ingredient is more of a microbiome agent rather than an active; it helps rebalance the skin's microbial community.
The bacteria and their metabolites produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds that crowd out the "bad bacteria". Research on Lactobacillus strains shows activity against pathogens and acne-causing bacteria.
One strain, Lactobacillus plantarum, has also been shown to boost collagen synthesis and lower melanin synthesis in lab and clinical observation.
The most eye-catching data comes from acne research, a topical cream with live lactobacilli was well-tolerated and improved skin hydration by 37.3% after 14 days of use and 45.6% after 28 days.
Sources for this ingredient are usually fermented substrates like dairy, soy, or rice.
In general, this is a low-irritation and well-tolerated ingredient that plays nice with most of your routine.
One thing to keep in mind is that live bacteria are hard to keep alive inside of a skincare product. They struggle to survive on the shelf and don't get along with the preservatives that stop products from spoiling.
That's why you'll see ferment and postbiotic forms instead, like Lactobacillus Ferment or Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate.
There isn't a fixed percentage for this ingredient since it is dosed by strain and viable count.
On the fungal acne front: Lactobacillus is a bacterium (not a fungus). The whole culture contains no fatty acids, esters, or oils that Malassezia can feed on so it is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about LactobacillusMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinWe don't have a description for Mannose yet.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice comes from the roots of the Yacon plant native to South America. It is a skin conditioning ingredient that helps keep skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Yacon roots are naturally loaded with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic sugar. Prebiotics like FOS help feed the "good" bacteria on your skin to support a healthy and balanced environment.
This root juice also contains antioxidant compounds (like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid).
Just so you know, Yacon belongs to the daisy family so be sure to patch test if you have a known allergy to plants in that family.
Learn more about Polymnia Sonchifolia Root JuiceWater. 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 WaterYeast extract is a silky, clear liquid derived from yeast (usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Torula yeast).
This ingredient has plenty of skin benefits:
Bioferments of yeast and soy have been found to reduce hyperpigmentation at low levels.
Yeast extract is fungal acne safe because it's made up of amino acids, peptides, B vitamins, and nucleotides (not the C11-C24 fatty acids that Malassezia needs to thrive).
The "yeast" in the name can be misleading, but FA safety is about chemical composition and not ingredient origin.
Learn more about Yeast Extract
