What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingSalicylic Acid 2%
MaskingNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantCarnosine
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningLactobionic Acid
BufferingSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantHoney
HumectantMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPropanediol
SolventGlycereth-7 Trimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Salicylic Acid 2%, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Carnosine, Gluconolactone, Lactobionic Acid, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Honey, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Propanediol, Glycereth-7 Trimethyl Ether, Sodium Hydroxide
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHoney mostly shows up in skincare as a humectant and skin conditioning agent. This is because its natural sugars (fructose and glucose) help hold onto water so skin feels softer and more hydrated.
Beyond hydration, honey also has antibacterial and wound-supporting properties. Its antibacterial action comes from a mix of things:
Manuka-type honey has an extra bacteria-killing compound called methylglyoxal, while all Honey contains a natural antibacterial protein called bee defensin-1.
Honey also nudges your immune cells to release signals that start the healing process. This is why medical-grade Honey is actually used in real wound dressings.
Just keep in mind that most of the strong clinical evidence is for wound care and not everyday cosmetic claims.
On concentrations and safety:
According to industry data, honey is used up to 22% in paste/mud packs, 7% as a honey extract in body/hand products, and face skincare levels sit well below that.
A human repeat insult patch test of 7% honey extract in 112 subjects showed no sensitization.
Allergy-wise, honey itself is a rare sensitizer. The bigger culprit is usually propolis that sometimes tags along in less-refined honey.
People allergic to propolis, conifer, poplar, salicylates, or Balsam of Peru are advised to avoid this ingredient due to shared allergens.
You might see this ingredient listed as either Honey or Mel (they're the same thing). Mel is simply the Latin word for honey.
A lot of people wonder if Honey is vegan, and technically it isn't.
Honey is made by bees; they gather nectar and their natural enzymes turn it into the Honey we know. So because it comes from an animal, it doesn't fit a vegan lifestyle.
And please remember to be kind to bees :). They're vital to so many ecosystems, and many species are struggling so they're worth protecting.
Learn more about HoneyRosa Damascena Flower Water is the water-based byproduct of steam-distilling damask rose petals. It has skin conditioning, masking, and skin protecting properties.
Research shows that Rosa damascena is rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds like gallic acid that contribute to its antioxidant activity.
In vitro studies have shown that Rosa damascena can scavenge free radicals and reduce melanin overproduction. Research has also found this extract offers some degree of UV absorption but this should not replace your sunscreen.
Learn more about Rosa Damascena Flower Water