What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Acrylates Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyquaternium-10
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingHesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Citrate
BufferingChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Limonene, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Steareth-20, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Sodium Lactate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract, Sodium Citrate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Glycine Soja Protein, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Superoxide Dismutase, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Lecithin, Dipeptide-2, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia 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 CarbomerCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimonenePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
