What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Carbomer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Astaxanthin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Ubiquinone, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Kojic Dipalmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract
Skin ConditioningErgosterol
Skin ConditioningGalactoarabinan
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tetrahydropiperine
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Kojic Dipalmitate, Glycerin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Broussonetia Kazinoki Root Extract, Ergosterol, Galactoarabinan, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tetrahydropiperine, Glycolic Acid, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide
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 ExtractCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamatePhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
