What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCharcoal Powder
Abrasive
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Extract, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Charcoal Powder, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract 0.1%
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 0.1%
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract 0.1%
Masking
Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract 0.1%
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Decyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract 0.1%, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 0.1%, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract 0.1%, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract 0.1%, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
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 ExtractEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 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 PhenoxyethanolXanthan 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
