What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantGlycol Distearate
EmollientSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingMethylpropanediol
SolventPotassium Cocoate
EmulsifyingHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingEclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
MaskingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
MaskingLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSalicylic Acid
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantFructooligosaccharides
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Methylpropanediol, Potassium Cocoate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Decylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Citral
Glycine Soja Oil
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingPEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantTocopheryl Linoleate
AntioxidantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Oil
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningCanarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
PerfumingCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
MaskingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
MaskingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingSqualane
EmollientCamellia Kissi Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientRhus Semialata Gall Extract
Skin ConditioningOxygen
Skin ConditioningNelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Triethylhexanoin, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Water, Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Gluconolactone, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Squalane, Camellia Kissi Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Allantoin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Oxygen, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Pentylene Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil is also known as May Chang essential oil. It is mostly used as a fragrance ingredient and has a bright, sweet, and lemony scent.
The main fragrance compounds in this ingredient are citral (~70-85%) and limonene.
Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), but real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1%.
The main thing worth knowing is that citral is a known EU fragrance allergen so people with known fragrance sensitivities may want to skip it.
Unlike citrus oils, May Chang doesn't contain furocoumarins and therefore isn't phototoxic.
Learn more about Litsea Cubeba Fruit OilWater. 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