What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tannic Acid
AstringentHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Mentha Haplocalix Extract
MaskingSodium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine, Betaine Salicylate, Mandelic Acid, Gluconolactone, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Allantoin, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Tannic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Menthyl Lactate, Mentha Haplocalix Extract, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Tromethamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Betaine
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem Water, Water, Gluconolactone, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Phytate, Betaine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Asiatic Acid is one of the four main actives found in Centella Asiatica. Its headline job is stimulating collagen.
Lab tests on human skin cells show Asiatic Acid tells your skin to make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and bouncy.
It also calms inflammation and acts as an antioxidant so it can help skin heal faster, rebuild itself, and repair a damaged barrier.
And on naming, even though "acid" is in the name, it's nothing like an AHA or BHA exfoliant. It's a gentle firming and soothing ingredient that supports your skin barrier.
Concentration-wise, Asiatic Acid is potent at very low doses and usually shows up as a small fraction of a broader centella extract.
Analyses of centella material put Asiatic Acid reported in the range of 0.2-3% of the extract.
This ingredient is non-sensitizing and guinea pig sensitization testing also found it to be a weak sensitizer. That means the risk of acquiring contact sensitivty is quite low.
Allergic contact dermatitis does exist but is also very rare; documented cases tend to involve prolonged use on broken skin plus co-sensitization to fragrance ingredients.
Learn more about Asiatic AcidAsiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It's the reason centella-based products have a strong reputation for repairing and calming skin, along with its sibling compound Madecassoside.
Research from 2016-2025 supports its role in:
You'll usually find this in concentrations between 0.2-5%.
Learn more about AsiaticosideButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneMadecassic Acid is one of the four star actives in Centella Asiatica. In skincare, it earns its keep as a calming and repairing ingredient.
It works through the same core pathways as the rest of the centella family.
First, it turns down inflammation so it helps with things like redness and general upset skin.
Second, it acts as an antioxidant which means it helps protect skin from daily stress and damage.
And third, it nudges the skin to make more collagen and rebuild its support structure.
That combination is why the whole Centella family is known for calming skin, strengthening the barrier, fading redness, and giving anti-aging benefits.
It's worth being honest about the evidence here; a lot of the strongest data is on the full extract or a Madecassoside/Asiaticoside rather than Madecassic Acid alone. Reviewers also note more long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm the full potential.
Concentration-wise, this ingredient is rarely used pure and usually shows up as part of a standardized centella extract where reported content ranges from 0.02-3.06%.
Finished products typically run somewhere in the 0.1-10% range depending on the format.
In real-world tolerance tests, a repeat-insult patch test on an eye lotion with 0.2% Centella extract showed no irritation or allergic contact dermatitis in 54 subjects. And a mascara with 0.5% Madecassoside caused neither irritation nor sensitization in 109 subjects.
Allergy risk is very low, but not zero. Centella and its constituents are classified as weak contact sensitizers and some rare cases of allergic contact dermatitis exist.
Learn more about Madecassic AcidWater. 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
