What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Coffea Arabica Seed Oil
Masking
Copper Tripeptide-34
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Coffea Arabica Seed Oil, Copper Tripeptide-34, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Biotin, Coconut Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Isethionate, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caffeine, Propanediol, Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, Glycine, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zinc Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientPPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethiconol Meadowfoamate
EmollientBrassica Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-37
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Brassicyl Valinate Esylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-73
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride
Quaternium-95
UV AbsorberTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hedera Helix Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Lactate
Buffering
Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingLactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylic Acid
CleansingGalactoarabinan
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLeontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Nigella Sativa Seed Extract
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol Meadowfoamate, Brassica Alcohol, Parfum, Polyquaternium-37, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Caprylyl Methicone, Benzyl Alcohol, Brassicyl Valinate Esylate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Trehalose, Xylitol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-73, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Isopropyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Panthenyl Hydroxypropyl Steardimonium Chloride, Quaternium-95, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethyl Linoleate, Ceramide NP, Ethyl Oleate, Sorbitan Oleate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium PCA, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hedera Helix Extract, Sodium Lactate, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Propanediol, Sodium Phosphate, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Arginine, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic Acid, Galactoarabinan, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Glycine, Alanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Valine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citral, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCamellia 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 ExtractCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.
Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.
This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Learn more about Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment FiltrateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPropanediol 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 PropanediolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
