What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantBenzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Colloidal Sulfur
AntimicrobialZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Carbomer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Polysorbate 20, Bisabolol, Caprylyl Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Benzophenone-4, Caffeine, Colloidal Sulfur, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Achillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingHypericum Perforatum Extract
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Nitrate
SoothingCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Nitrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lactate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceButylene 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 ExtractCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer 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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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
