Clean Beauty Witch Hazel Rejuvenating Facial Toner Versus Origins A Perfect World™ Age-Defense Treatment Lotion with White Tea
This hydrating toner is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and calm redness.
This anti-aging toner is formulated around Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Propanediol
Solvent
Lilium Candidum Flower Water
Skin ConditioningCereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Flower Water
Skin ConditioningCitrus Paradisi Seed Oil
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Propanediol, Lilium Candidum Flower Water, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Lavandula Hybrida Flower Water, Citrus Paradisi Seed Oil, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Medica Peel Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
Masking
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Magnolia Acuminata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningIris Pallida Root Extract
Masking
Rosa Damascena Extract
MaskingCitral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Thermus Thermophillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Medica Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Magnolia Acuminata Flower Extract, Iris Pallida Root Extract, Rosa Damascena Extract, Citral, Linalool, Limonene, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Trehalose, Sorbitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
