It has ingredients that are good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

It doesn't contain any common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates

Fun facts

This product is used in 1 routines created by our community.

We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.

Ingredient List (14)

Tretinoin 0.06%, Niacinamide 4%, Azelaic Acid 5%, Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, Laureth-4, Lauryl Alcohol, Octyldodecyl Xyloside, Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Silicon, Cyclomethicone, Alcohol Denat., Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil Peg-8 Esters

You should know

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

Exfoliators

Niacinamide

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (2)

Reduces Large Pores (2)

Anti-Aging

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting (3)

Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin

Irritating

Rosacea (2)

Eczema

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

Smoothing

Buffering, Masking

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Emulsifying, Masking

5 / 4

Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Emulsifying

Abrasive

Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

0 / 0

Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent

Skin Conditioning

Ingredients Explained

This product contains 14 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it

Tretinoin 0.06%

What it does:

Community Rating: Loved

Tretinoin is a form of Vitamin A. It is stronger than retinol and only available with a prescription in many countries.

Research on tretinoin has found it to be effective in anti-aging the skin. It helps improve damage from the sun, even the skin tone, and smooth out wrinkles.

Tretinoin has also been found to be an effective acne treatment by reducing 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. Due to its strength, it can cause irritation, redness, and dry skin. 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 Retinol

Learn more about Tretinoin

Niacinamide 4%

What it does: Smoothing

Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Azelaic Acid 5%

What it does: Buffering, Masking

Community Rating: Loved

Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring acid that is derived from grains. However, the lab-created form is typically used within cosmetic products as it has better shelf-stability.

It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions. Azelaic acid helps reduce the growth of bacteria that cause acne and helps to reduce inflammation.

It also helps to improve the appearance of skin by reducing the production of sebum and unclogging pores.

Azelaic Acid also has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

One of the main benefits of azelaic acid is that it is gentle and well-tolerated by most people. It is also non-comedogenic, meaning that it will not clog pores.

Learn more about Azelaic Acid

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

Cyclopentasiloxane

What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Disliked

Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to improve texture and trap moisture. An easier name for this is D5.

D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.

D5 is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.

Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.

Learn more about Cyclopentasiloxane

Polysilicone-11

What it does:

Community Rating: Disliked

We don't have a description for Polysilicone-11.

Laureth-4

What it does: Emulsifying, Masking

Laureth-4 is created by reacting ethylene oxide with Lauryl Alcohol. It is a surfactant and emulsifier.

Surfactants reduce the surface tension of ingredients so they can mix better. Emulsifiers prevent ingredients such as oil and water from separating.

Lauryl Alcohol

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Lauryl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol. It is derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil.

Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols.

Octyldodecyl Xyloside

What it does: Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Octyldodecyl Xyloside.

Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate

What it does: Emulsifying

Peg-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate isn't fungal acne safe.

Silicon

What it does: Abrasive

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Silicon is an abrasive as an INCI ingredient. In tools, it is a material.

Cyclomethicone

What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cyclomethicone is a class of silicones used to improve the texture of products.

Their cyclic or circular structure decreases stability. This causes quick evaporation when applied to skin. Cyclomethicones are often used as a carrier for other ingredients. Once it evaporates, it leaves a silky barrier on the skin.

The most popular types of cyclomethicones include D5 and D6.

Learn more about Cyclomethicone

Alcohol Denat.

What it does: Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking, Solvent

Community Rating: Very Disliked

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol and other additives. It has a low molecular weight and will evaporate quickly. This helps other ingredients become better absorbed and dry once applied.

Alcohol Denat. is volatile and may cause irritation. It helps draw out natural oils in skin and dry out your skin.

One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased irritation.

Alcohol is antibacterial by nature. This can help preserve products and increase their shelf life.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

Learn more about Alcohol Denat.

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil Peg-8 Esters

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil Peg-8 Esters is an oil.

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