What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bellis Perennis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLippia Citriodora Leaf Extract
Astringent
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentOriganum Vulgare Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Thymus Vulgaris Extract
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicOenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Zinc Pyrithione
Antiseborrhoeic
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDenatonium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Water, Alcohol Denat., Niacinamide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Salicylic Acid, Stearic Acid, Propanediol, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Zinc Pyrithione, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Adenosine, Arginine, Myristic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Denatonium Benzoate, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate, Disodium EDTA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as tea tree oil. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Tea tree oil is a complex lipophilic (fat-loving) oil that contains around 100 compounds with terpinen-4-ol being the most abundant (~40%).
Terpinen-4-ol is responsible for tea tree oil's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and makes it a well-researched option for acne.
Clinical studies support 5% tea tree oil as an effective topical treatment for mild to moderate acne. A study with 124 patients compared 5% tea tree oil gel to 5% benzoyl peroxide and both reduced acne (though tea tree oil worked more slowly).
Besides acne, it is also seen in anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments for it's antimicrobial and anti-seborrheic properties.
Safety-wise, the allergic potential of low concentrations on healthy skin is considered low. However, oxidized (old or improperly stored) tea tree oil is a stronger sensitizer.
Irritation can also occur if using the undiluted oil on skin; it's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted cosmetic formula. This is because regulations require tea tree oil in cosmetics to be stabilized to prevent degradation.
This ingredient has been deemed safe up to 2% in shampoo, 1% in cleansers, and 0.1% in face cream by the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).
There is some lab evidence that tea tree oil is antifungal against Malassezia, but it is a supportive option at best and not a replacement for proven antifungal treatments.
Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf OilWater. 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
