What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTriethoxycaprylylsilane
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Artemisia Annua Extract
MaskingNepeta Cataria Extract
TonicIlex Aquifolium Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningIlex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Nasturtium Officinale Extract
Perfuming
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Trifolium Pratense Extract
Skin ConditioningSaponaria Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningMorus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Princeps Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Agave Americana Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPlantago Asiatica Extract
Skin ConditioningAster Scaber Extract
Skin ConditioningEphedra Sinica Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorella Pyrenoidosa Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, CI 77891, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, CI 77492, Beeswax, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77491, CI 77499, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Parfum, Betaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Artemisia Annua Extract, Nepeta Cataria Extract, Ilex Aquifolium Leaf Extract, Althaea Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Trifolium Pratense Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Extract, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Artemisia Princeps Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Agave Americana Leaf Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Aster Scaber Extract, Ephedra Sinica Extract, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Microcrystalline Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientGlycol Palmitate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Canola Oil
Emollient
Triceteareth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Glycol Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Canola Oil, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Allantoin, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycol Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCamellia 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 ExtractDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
