Ikaria Beauty Daytime Fytó Retinol Serum Ingredients Explained

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant (it's vegan!). It is often called the replacement for retinol although it is not part of the same family.

It has similar effects as retinol: skin smoothing, reducing discoloration, and preventing wrinkles. It does not cause as much irritation as traditional retinoids.

Avena Sativa Bran Extract comes from oatmeal. The bran is the shell covering the oat.

This ingredient is an abrasive, meaning it exfoliates the top layer of your skin.

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.

We don't have a description for Plankton Extract.

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil comes from the grape vine. Grape seeds are a byproduct of creating grape juice or wine.

The components of grape seeds have many skin benefits. Research has found it to be antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It also contains many potent antioxidants such as Vitamin E , Vitamin C, proanthocyanidins, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Proanthocyanidin has been shown to help even out skin tone.

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract comes from the peels of the bitter orange. This orange is native to Southeast Asia. It is commonly used in foods such as marmalade.

Citrus peels are often made up of mainly limonene. Limonene is a fragrance with a citrus scent. They also contain flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.

Glycine Soja Sterols is derived from the soybean plant. Sterols are an organic compound and technically an alcohol.

Unlike solvent alcohols, glycine soja sterols have emollient properties and help hydrate the skin.

We don't have a description for Pullulan.

Citrus Limon Fruit Extract comes from lemons. While lemon extract is exfoliating and antimicrobial, it can also cause skin sensitivity.

Lemons contains antioxidants, which may help with anti-aging. They are also rich in citric acid, an AHA.

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract has many benefits. It contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules that damage skin cells. The antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.

This ingredient is more commonly known as the coffee bean from the Coffea Arabica tree. Besides being a delicious drink, coffee beans have a ton of skin benefits.

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract (CASE) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and UV-protective properties. (It should not replace your sunscreen!)

This extract comes from the Cabbage Palm, AKA the Açaí berry! It has skin soothing, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties.

Acai berries are rich in antioxidants, including ferulic acid (The famous vitamin C stabilizer). Antioxidants protect your skin against damaging free-radical molecules.

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract comes from the Goji Berry. Goji berries are native to China and can be found across Eurasia.

Goji berries contain polysaccharides, carotenoids and flavonoids. Antioxidants help your body fight off free-radical molecules. These molecules are unstable and may damage your skin. By making free-radicals more stable, antioxidants can help with anti-aging.

We don't have a description for Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract.

Punica Granatum Juice Extract comes from pomegranate juice.

Pomegranates contain Vitamin E and Vitamin C.

We don't have a description for Garcinia Mangostana Fruit Extract.

Linoleic Acid is Vitamin F and a fatty acid. It is an emollient and helps thicken texture. Linoleic acid helps with hydrating skin and nourishing the skin's barrier. The top layer of skin, or epidermis, contains high amounts of linoleic acid naturally.

Your body uses linoleic acid to build ceramides and prostaglandins. Ceramides keep your skin's barrier plump and firm. Prosaglandins help control inflammation and healing.

Phospholipids are naturally found in our skin as they are the main component of cell membranes. Phospholipids have humectant, emollient, antioxidant properties.

The phospholipids in our skin can be naturally depleted. Replenishing the phospholipids in our skin can help hydrate your skin. Due to their hygroscopic nature, they act as humectants and emollients. Humectants draw moisture from the air to your skin, while emollients help trap moisture in. This ingredient is non-occlusive.

Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid, a fatty acid from coconut.

Glyceryl Caprylate is used for its emollient and emulsifier properties.

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Lecithin is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

Sodium 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.

Xanthan 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.

Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.

Sodium Citrate helps maintain the pH of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent.

Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product.

Sclerotium Gum is a polysaccharide gum made by the fungus, Sclerotium rolfssii. It is similar to xanthan gum.

In cosmetics, Sclerotium Gum is used to thicken the texture and to help stabilize other ingredients.

Triethyl Citrate is a fragrance.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is usually an astringent alcohol.

These alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Benzyl Salicylate is a solvent and fragrance additive. It is an ester of benzyl alcohol and salicylic acid. This ingredient can be naturally found in some plants and plant extracts.

In fragrances, Benzyl Salicylate may be a solvent or a fragrance component. In synthetic musk scents, it is used as a solvent. For floral fragrances such as lilac and jasmine, it is used as a fragrance component. The natural scent of Benzyl Salicylate is described as "lightly-sweet, slightly balsamic".

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil is oil from the peel of an orange fruit.

Limonene and linalool make up the majority of oils from citrus peels. Limonene has a "citrus" fragrance. Citrus peels also contain flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.

Citrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.

Lemon peel oil contains limonene, a skin sensitizing ingredient. Another component is furanocoumarin, which induces phototoxicity in skin.

We don't have a description for Cedrol.

Allyl Caproate is a fragrance.

Benzyl Acetate is a fragrance.

Terpineol is a fragrance.

Salvia Sclarea Oil is a volatile oil obtained from the Clary Sage, Salvia sclarea L., Lamiaceae

We don't have a description for Dimethyl Heptenal.

Ribes Nigrum Bud Extract is a fragrance.

Citral is a fragrance and used to add a lemon-like scent to products. It is both naturally found in plants and created synthetically. In plants, it is commonly occurring in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon tea-tree, lemon verbena, and other citruses.

The EU mandates Citral be listed separately as a fragrance. It is a known allergen and may cause contact dermatitis. Citral can also used as a masking ingredient.

Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil is an oil.