What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientSorbitol
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOryza Sativa
Milk
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientCeteareth-20
CleansingUlmus Fulva Bark Extract
MoisturisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDiethyl Phthalate
MaskingWater, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa, Milk, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ceteareth-20, Ulmus Fulva Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Diethyl Phthalate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientTheobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHoney
HumectantArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialVegetable Oil
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingWater, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Maltodextrin, Honey, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Phospholipids, Biotin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Vegetable Oil, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateCamellia 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 ExtractCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term '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.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed 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