What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantPotassium Phosphate
BufferingDipotassium Phosphate
BufferingPoloxamer 184
EmulsifyingBenzalkonium Chloride
AntimicrobialTetrasodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Poloxamer 184, Benzalkonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Allantoin
Water
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingLauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingDipotassium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantLactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment
Skin ProtectingMannitol
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientWater, Hexylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Dipotassium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment, Mannitol, Cyclopentasiloxane
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia 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 ExtractCyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.
D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.
It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.
Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDipotassium Phosphate is an inorganic salt. This just means it has a different structure than organic salts. It is a stabilizing and pH adjusting ingredient.
This ingredient is soluble in water.
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 GlycerinPotassium Phosphate is the term for the salts of potassium and phosphate ions. Our bodies naturally create and use potassium phosphate.
In cosmetics, potassium phosphate is used to adjust the pH level of products. Our skin has a natural pH level. Maintaining this pH level is important for our skin barrier. If the skin barrier is disrupted, our skin can experience dehydration and irritation.
This ingredient is used in medicine to help treat low blood levels of phosphorus.
Learn more about Potassium PhosphateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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