What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningVitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Propylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Polymethyl Methacrylate
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Niacin
SmoothingUndecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Root Extract
BleachingDiacetyl Boldine
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-20/6 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Sodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingBHA
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Triisopropanolamine
BufferingHydrochloric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Citronellyl Methylcrotonate
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Water, Propylene Glycol, Lecithin, Alcohol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 4-Butylresorcinol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Retinol, Azelaic Acid, Niacin, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Morus Alba Root Extract, Diacetyl Boldine, PEG/PPG-20/6 Dimethicone, Sodium Cholate, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, BHA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Triisopropanolamine, Hydrochloric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene, Isoeugenol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is a stable form of Vitamin C. It is created by combining glucose from starch.
When applied to skin, Ascorbyl Glucoside turns into Ascorbic Acid.
Ascorbyl Glucoside is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may damage skin cells.
It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Ascorbyl GlucosidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
