What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sea Salt
Abrasive
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether
SolventTrehalose
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Menthol
Masking
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-10
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Camellia Seed Oil
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningFreesia Refracta Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Citrata Leaf Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicMentha Piperita Extract
CleansingMentha Suaveolens Leaf Extract
AstringentCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningZinc Pyrithione
Antiseborrhoeic
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Sodium Chloride, Water, Coco-Betaine, Glycerin, Sea Salt, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Lauryl Betaine, Cocamide Mea, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Cocoate, PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether, Trehalose, Caprylyl Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Menthol, Trihydroxystearin, Polyquaternium-10, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Sucrose Stearate, Tromethamine, Niacinamide, Menthyl Lactate, Mentha Piperita Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 80, Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Freesia Refracta Extract, Mentha Citrata Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Caffeine, Adenosine, Biotin, Mentha Piperita Extract, Mentha Suaveolens Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Zinc Pyrithione, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningJuglans Regia Shell Powder
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pumice
Abrasive
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Sodium Citrate
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Symphytum Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Pumice, Lauryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Caffeine, Glycine Soja Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Sodium Citrate, Alcohol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine 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 CaffeineGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinThis ingredient is the essential oil from the leaves of cornmint. It is one of the richest natural sources of menthol on our planet (about 70-78%).
In cosmetics, this ingredient mostly works as a fragrance and/or masking agent used to cover up unpleasant smells of other ingredients.
The "cooling" sensation from mint isn't a real temperature change; menthol actives a nerve receptor in skin that gets triggered by cold. Your brain essentially gets a "cool" signal from it.
Just so you know, allergic contact dermatitis to menthol is documented in literature (but it's kind of uncommon). This is why the percentages allowed in leave-on products are quite low (0.2%). Be sure to patch test if you have sensitive skin.
Though this ingredient is not listed as an EU allergen, it's cousins (Mentha Piperita Oil, menthol and Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil) are.
Due to the high Menthol content of this ingredient, brands are required to label "menthol" as a separate ingredient on the list. The EU regulation labels the allergenic substance, not just the source ingredient, so the menthol carried in this ingredient still has to be declared.
Learn more about Mentha Arvensis Leaf OilRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract comes from rosemary. Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean.
While Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil can be volatile due to its fragrant properties, the fragrance components are usually removed in the leaf extract.
Rosemary Leaf Extract contains many antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid. Rosemarinic acid, a compound found in rosemary leaf, has been found to help soothe skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
