This acne moisturizer is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Bifida Ferment Lysate to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.
This smoothing essence is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Bifida Ferment Lysate to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Algin
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Kaolin, Zinc Sulfate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Algin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Saccharomyces Lysate Extract
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Creatine
Skin ConditioningErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Adenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Juice
MaskingAcetyl Carnitine Hcl
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8
HumectantPPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrehalose
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingTrisodium Hedta
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Caffeine, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Lactobacillus Ferment, Creatine, Ergothioneine, Adenosine Phosphate, Punica Granatum Fruit Juice, Acetyl Carnitine Hcl, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, PEG-8, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Trehalose, Hexylene Glycol, Faex Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-51, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Trisodium Hedta, 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.
Bifida Ferment Lysate is a postbiotic ingredient made by fermenting Bifidobacterium to extract a nutrient-rich mix of peptides, amino acids, vitamins, organic acids, and polysaccharides.
These components are basically the building blocks that your skin already uses to stay hydrated, repair itself, and maintain its barrier. That's why this ingredient helps your skin hold onto moisture and stay resilient against irritation.
One in-vitro study found that this ingredient tells your skin cells to produce more of the proteins (filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin) for building a strong and healthy barrier. This study also found this ingredient to be a solid antioxidant that helped neutralize damage against UV and pollution.
A study with people from 2010 found that sensitive, reactive skin using a cream with 10% of this ingredient for a month became noticeably less dry, less reactive, and harder to irritate compared to the group using a plain cream.
In short, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient that can help with barrier repair, antioxidant protection, and calming reactive skin.
This ingredient is generally considered fungal acne (Malassezia) safe; Bifidobacterium is a bacterium, not a yeast or fungus.
The fungal acne concern with fermented ingredients mainly applies to yeast-derived ferments like Saccharomyces and Galactomyces, because those are in the same kingdom as Malassezia and could theoretically contain residual compounds that feed it.
Bifida is a completely different organism, so on its own it doesn't provide a food source for the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about Bifida Ferment LysateButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
