What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Lauryl Betaine, Coconut Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Isethionate, Coco-Glucoside, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Salicylic Acid, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Allantoin, Caffeine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium PCA, Propylene Glycol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 ExtractCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
We don't have a description for Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract yet.
Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.
The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.
This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.
This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.
Learn more about Sodium Cocoyl IsethionateWater. 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
