This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
This calming toner is formulated around Laminaria Digitata Extract and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Mume Fruit Water
HumectantGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingOryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Honey Extract
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Tromethamine
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventWater, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Glycolic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Honey Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Sodium PCA, Glucose, C12-14 Pareth-12, Butylene Glycol, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Ethyl Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMaris Aqua
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Crocus Sativus Flower Extract
MaskingWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Maris Aqua, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Phenylpropanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Laminaria Digitata Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Crocus Sativus Flower Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolChlorella Vulgaris Extract comes from a single-celled green freshwater algae.
The version used in skincare is almost always a water or glycerin-based extract that is basically the algae's amino acids, peptides, sugars, and chlorophyll pigments.
It acts as a skin-conditioning agent and the research behind it at this time is mostly lab-dish rather than human trials.
Isolated Chlorella peptides inhibit collagenase and elastase (the enzymes that chew up collagen and elastin) and mop up free radicals in test-tube assays. Another study found a Chlorella gel sped up wound healing in mice. Many of the firming or dark-circle claims come from the ingredient supplier's own studies.
Suppliers suggest using 1-2% of the trade version (Water/Glycerin + Chlorella Vulgaris Extract) in a finished formula which means the actual algae solids are a fraction of a percent.
Allergy risk is low and topical reactions are rare; the 2020 anaphylaxis case came from eating Chlorella supplements and not from putting it on skin.
However, patch testing is sensible if you have reacted to algae before.
The "chlorella is high in iodine so it breaks you out" line borrows from marine seaweed. Freshwater Chlorella isn't a notable iodine source unless it's deliberately grown in iodine-enriched medium.
Just so you know, many lists give algae a comedogenic rating of 5 and that number doesn't come from anywhere; it's not in the original rabbit-ear studies that most comedogenic ratings trace back to.
The reasoning behind the reputation is that seaweed is high in iodine and iodine can trigger acne-like breakouts when eaten. This traces back to a 1976 letter in Archives of Dermatology describing two women whose breakouts cleared after they stopped taking high-dose kelp supplements orally.
And the reaction of these two women wasn't clogged pores at all: it was an iodine-triggered pustular rash. Later research found normal dietary iodine doesn't meaningfully affect acne either and nobody has shown topical algae delivers enough iodine to matter.
Learn more about Chlorella Vulgaris ExtractEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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
