What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Laureth-23
Cleansing
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carrageenan
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentylene Glycol, Laureth-23, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Carnosine, Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Carrageenan, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysilicone-11
Silica
Abrasive
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Poloxamer 338
EmulsifyingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone
Emollient
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Polysilicone-11, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Poloxamer 338, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Laureth-7, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Salicylic Acid, Parfum
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 AcidCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene 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 GlycolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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 TocopherolTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
Water. 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
