What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauramide DEA
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycol Distearate
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMalic Acid
Buffering
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Sodium Citrate
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMenthol
Masking
Lauriminodipropionic Acid
CleansingLactic Acid
Buffering
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Tetrasodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauramide DEA, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycol Distearate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Glycine, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Malic Acid, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Kaolin, Sodium Citrate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Menthol, Lauriminodipropionic Acid, Lactic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingLauryl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Water, Lauryl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Lauryl Betaine, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Gluconolactone, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as tea tree oil. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Tea tree oil is a complex lipophilic (fat-loving) oil that contains around 100 compounds with terpinen-4-ol being the most abundant (~40%).
Terpinen-4-ol is responsible for tea tree oil's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and makes it a well-researched option for acne.
Clinical studies support 5% tea tree oil as an effective topical treatment for mild to moderate acne. A study with 124 patients compared 5% tea tree oil gel to 5% benzoyl peroxide and both reduced acne (though tea tree oil worked more slowly).
Besides acne, it is also seen in anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments for it's antimicrobial and anti-seborrheic properties.
Safety-wise, the allergic potential of low concentrations on healthy skin is considered low. However, oxidized (old or improperly stored) tea tree oil is a stronger sensitizer.
Irritation can also occur if using the undiluted oil on skin; it's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted cosmetic formula. This is because regulations require tea tree oil in cosmetics to be stabilized to prevent degradation.
This ingredient has been deemed safe up to 2% in shampoo, 1% in cleansers, and 0.1% in face cream by the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).
There is some lab evidence that tea tree oil is antifungal against Malassezia, but it is a supportive option at best and not a replacement for proven antifungal treatments.
Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf 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
