What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Heptyl Glucoside
SurfactantOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Glycerin, Biotin, Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Charcoal Powder, Mentha Piperita Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Menthyl Lactate, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Heptyl Glucoside, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCharcoal Powder
Abrasive
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ceramide Ng, Biotin, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Glycerin, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Charcoal Powder
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Biotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinCharcoal powder comes from grounded charcoal. Charcoal can originate from peat, bamboo, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.
This ingredient has absorbent properties, making it great at absorbing oil.
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 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 OilTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
