What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Vinegar
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Isopulegol
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-4
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Glycerin, Parfum, Vinegar, Cetrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Menthyl Lactate, Menthol, Isopulegol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Propylene Glycol, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-4, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, CI 19140, CI 16035, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Vinegar
Babassuamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Lemongrass Oil
Citral
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Vinegar, Babassuamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Citral, Mentha Piperita Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 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 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene 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 GlycolIn cosmetics, vinegar is often used to help adjust the pH of a product. It is also a light exfoliant. The pH of your skin is important to maintain a healthy skin barrier.
Vinegar is created by the process of double-fermentation. It is an aqueous solution consisting mostly of water and acetic acid. Typically, vinegar contains anywhere from 5-8% acetic acid.
Other components include small amounts of contains small amounts of tartaric acid and citric acid. Depending on what is used to ferment the vinegar, it can have traces of flavoring as well.
Learn more about VinegarWater. 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
