What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantAcetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin ProtectingCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingArginine
MaskingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingPCA
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Oil
Serine
MaskingMenthol
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantValine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHistidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingCopper Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantPhenylpropanol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Caffeine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Hyaluronic Acid, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Biotin, Glycine, Alanine, Mentha Piperita Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Serine, Menthol, Tocopherol, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Copper Gluconate, Ascorbic Acid, Phenylpropanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-34
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingCastor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCoffea Arabica Seed Oil
MaskingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLindera Strychnifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Oil
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil
EmollientLamium Album Extract
AstringentPlantago Psyllium Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantLarix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantGlycine
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantUbiquinone
AntioxidantZinc Chloride
AntimicrobialSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientLithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caffeine, Copper Tripeptide-34, Niacinamide, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Coffea Arabica Seed Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Biotin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Carbomer, Lindera Strychnifolia Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Lamium Album Extract, Plantago Psyllium Seed Extract, Panthenol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Glycine, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Zinc Chloride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Caramel
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Biotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCamellia 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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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