What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Milk Protein Extract
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDiospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCastanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Dipropylene Glycol, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyquaternium-51, Disodium EDTA, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Milk Protein Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Tocopherol, Glutathione, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Menthol
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Scenedesmus Rubescens Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLeucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract
Skin ProtectingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycogen
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Succinic Acid
BufferingGlutathione
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Colloidal Gold
AntimicrobialSorbitol
Humectant
PEG-8
Humectant1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDextran
Water, Alcohol, Propanediol, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Menthol, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Scenedesmus Rubescens Extract, Butylene Glycol, Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract, Glycerin, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Glycogen, Sodium PCA, Succinic Acid, Glutathione, Tripeptide-1, Colloidal Gold, Sorbitol, PEG-8, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Sodium Lactate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Dextran
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
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 GlycolCamellia 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 ExtractDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlutathione is an antioxidant naturally found in our bodies. It is made up of three amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamic acid.
As an antioxidant, it prevents oxidative damage to parts of our cell.
While glutathione is said to help with fading dark spots, the results from research are inconclusive. Further studies are needed. With that said, gluthatione has been shown to protect our skin from UV-B induced damage.
This ingredient is naturally occurring in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria.
Learn more about GlutathioneGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
