What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantTrilaureth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingDextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trilaureth-4 Phosphate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientHydrogenated Polybutene
Glycerin
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingPalmitic Acid
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingDextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLimonene
PerfumingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingLinalool
PerfumingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polybutene, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Parfum, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Limonene, Xanthan Gum, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Linalool, Tocopherol
Reviews
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 ExtractDextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.
As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.
Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.
Learn more about DextrinEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinTocopherol 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