What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 90%
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Castanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Cinnamomum Cassia Bark
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Rhus Semialata Gall Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Yeast Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Mentha Haplocalix Extract
MaskingHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Albumen
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Histidine
Humectant
Lysine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Valine
MaskingParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Butylene Glycol, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Salix Alba Bark Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Mentha Haplocalix Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Albumen, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Histidine, Lysine, Proline, Serine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Threonine, Valine, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 ExtractCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPeg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
As a solubilizer, it helps dissolve ingredients into a water-based version. It is also an emulsifer. Emulsifier help prevent oils and water from separating. Both these properties help create evenly-spread and uniform products.
Basically, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps hold ingredients together.
Learn more about PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
