Here's our breakdown of the notable ingredients, benefits, and concerns we determined from the ingredients in this product. Click any item to learn more.

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid

Benefits

Hydrating

Anti-Aging

Acne Fighting

Brightening (2)

Concerns

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema (2)

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

Ingredients Overview

Here's our quick-to-read summary of the ingredients in this product. Keep scrolling if you'd like to learn more about what each ingredient does!

Ingredient

Com. / Irr. Rating

Features

Buffering

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

0 / 0

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

0 / 0

Solvent

Preservative

0 / 0

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Ingredients Explained

This product contains 8 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it

Tretinoin 0.03%

What it does:

Community Rating: Loved

Tretinoin is the best retinoid due to its proven skin benefits. It only available with a prescription in many countries.

All forms of OTC retinoids goes through a conversion line until it can become effective. The final step of conversion is retinoic acid; retinoic acid IS Tretinoin.

This is why tretinoin is so effective; it gets to work immediately on the skin.

Research on tretinoin has found it to be incredibly effective for reducing the signs of aging. It helps improve damage from the sun, even the skin tone, and smooth out wrinkles. It is also an effective acne treatment by reducing and balancing out sebum production in pores.

Tretinoin, like other forms of Vitamin A, increases the turnover cycle of skin cells. This helps the skin create newer and healthier skin cells faster.

It can cause irritation, redness, and dry skin because it is considered a "strong" ingredient. Those with sensitive skin should consult a professional about using tretinoin.

Using retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few weeks of use. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.

Read about a form of retinoid you can purchase at the store, retinol.

Learn more about Tretinoin

Carbon

What it does:

We don't have a description for Carbon.

Aminomethyl Propanol

What it does: Buffering

Community Rating: Liked

Aminomethyl Propanol is used to adjust the pH of products. It is also used as a base to create other organic compounds. Having a balanced pH is important for protecting your skin.

Aminomethyl propanol is safe to use in cosmetics up to 1%. It is soluble in water.

Propylene Glycol

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Glycerin

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Methyl Alcohol

What it does: Solvent

Methyl Alcohol is an alcohol.

Methylparaben

What it does: Preservative

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

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