What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Superoxide Dismutase, Ubiquinone, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Lactic Acid, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Agar
MaskingAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Potassium Chloride
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Agar, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Chondrus Crispus, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract is from brown seaweed that grows in the northern Atlantic Ocean. It is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage our skin cells.
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract is also used to enhance the texture of products.
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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideWater. 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
