What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract
Glycine
Buffering
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract, Glycine, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zinc Chloride, Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
Serine
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
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
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 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.
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
