What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantSalicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Menthol
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Menthol
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Phytic Acid
Carrageenan
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Water, Alcohol Denat., Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Citrate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Phytic Acid, Carrageenan, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Acer Saccharum Extract, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbyl Glucoside
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid yet.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 Water
