What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Propylene Glycol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Emulsion Stabilising

Citrus Junos Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Illicium Verum Fruit Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract

Skin Protecting

Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract

Astringent

Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Astringent
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

Masking
Oil Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Isohexadecane

Emollient

Disodium EDTA

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Camellia Sinensis Callus Culture Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Disodium Phosphate

Buffering

Sorbitan Oleate

Emulsifying
3 / 0 Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Asarum Sieboldii Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Quercus Mongolica Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Persicaria Hydropiper Extract

Skin Conditioning

Larix Europaea Wood Extract

Humectant

Magnolia Obovata Bark Extract

Skin Conditioning

Rheum Palmatum Root Extract

Astringent
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Corydalis Turtschaninovii Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Coptis Chinensis Root Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Sodium Phosphate

Buffering

Lysine Hcl

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Acetyl Methionine

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Theanine

Emollient

Proline

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Acetyl Glutamine

Skin Conditioning

Bacillus/Folic Acid/Soybean Ferment Extract

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Limonene

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea IconEU Allergen Icon

Reviews

2.88
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Oily 50% Works Well 36% Heavy 21%
3.33
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Broke Me Out 100% Irritating 100%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene 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 Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

Learn more about Lecithin
Skin Conditioning

sh-Oligopeptide-1 is a peptide found naturally in our bodies. Peptides are the building blocks for collagen and elastin in our skin.

In cosmetics, this ingredient is bioengineered to be identical to a human gene that codes for epidermal growth factor (EGF). EGF are signal molecules that simulate cell growth and healing.

Studies find EGF help with:

In South Korea and China, EGF is considered a controversial ingredient. The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has cracked down on companies with products including EGF due to false advertisement claims.

According to Dr. Zoe Draelos, growth factors have some drawbacks:

There is also controversy surrounding growth factors. The controversy is due to their mitogenic activity, or their ability to increase the number of cells. It is best to avoid using growth factors if you have psoriasis or are at risk of skin cancer. However, it should be noted EGF are not mutagenic - meaning they will not cause cancer.

Learn more about Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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

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