What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal
AbrasiveSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCoconut Acid
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingOryza Sativa Powder
Parfum
MaskingKaolin
AbrasiveSodium Isethionate
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingDextrin
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAdansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientArtemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
PerfumingFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract
EmollientHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicHyssopus Officinalis Extract
MaskingLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
AntioxidantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingNelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningSaururus Chinensis Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Coconut Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Oryza Sativa Powder, Parfum, Kaolin, Sodium Isethionate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Dextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Saururus Chinensis Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Dextrin
AbsorbentHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingMalt Extract
Skin Protecting1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMaltodextrin
AbsorbentMannitol
HumectantEpigallocatechin Gallate
AntioxidantSh-Decapeptide-5 Sp
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Lauric Acid, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Aspartic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Dextrin, Hexylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Malt Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Mannitol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Sh-Decapeptide-5 Sp, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractDextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.
As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.
Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.
Learn more about DextrinEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinThis ingredient comes from the evergreen flowering plant, gardenia. It has skin conditioning properties.
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 GlycerinHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWater. 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