This acne treatment is formulated around Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil and Zingiber Officinale Root Extract to clear breakouts and fade the look of dark spots.
This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Gluconolactone to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearates
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBrassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil
EmollientCurcuma Longa Root Extract
AntioxidantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialWater, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearates, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Phosphate, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
BufferingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningMandelic Acid
AntimicrobialPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientLysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSodium Benzoate
MaskingCurcuma Longa Root Extract
AntioxidantSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPullulan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantSilica
AbrasiveCalcium Gluconate
HumectantAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Curcuma Longa Root Extract comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the turmeric plant.
While the official EU Cosing Database lists this ingredient as a fragrance, it actually does more than give products a scent.
This ingredient contains a group of yellow pigments called curcuminoids (mostly curcumin) that give it genuine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in skin.
Reviews of topical clinical studies have found turmeric/curcumin to be generally well-tolerated and useful across conditions like eczema and mild inflammation.
One thing working in its favor is that curcumin barely penetrates; in lab skin-permeation testing, the curcuminoids mostly stayed in the outermost layer of skin. This is a good thing because its soothing and antioxidant activity is a surface-level job anyway.
At this time, industry data shows there's no single "correct" cosmetic percentage. It's used across a wide range depending on the product and varies from tiny fractions of a percent up to a few percent.
Allergy-wise, curcumin is a documented (but uncommon) contact allergen. It can also cross react with related plants, so anyone with a turmeric/ginger/cinnamon allergy or reactive skin should patch test first.
Learn more about Curcuma Longa Root ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum