What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Spirulina Platensis Powder
Skin ProtectingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Spirulina Platensis Powder, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Myristate
EmulsifyingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingPotassium Behenate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Palmitate
EmulsifyingCocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Potassium Stearate
CleansingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Gentiana Lutea Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Trisodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin, Potassium Myristate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Laurate, Potassium Behenate, Glycol Distearate, PEG-150 Distearate, Potassium Palmitate, Cocamide Mea, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Potassium Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Butylene Glycol, Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract, Petrolatum, Cyclomethicone, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Gentiana Lutea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trisodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Titanium Dioxide, CI 17200, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Water
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractPEG-150 Distearate is a hardworking ingredient that is usually found at the end of a lot of cleansers whose main job is to act as a micellar thickening agent for surfactant-based cleansers.
It works by physically linking up surfactant micelles already in a formula to bump up viscosity and gives products a pourable-but-not-runny body.
Safety-wise, it's been found safe in cosmetics with minimal skin irritation and no evidence of toxicity.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe; it's a diester of stearic acid (C18) that falls into the C11-24 range that the Malassezia yeast feeds on. In vitro studies have also shown the Malassezia can metabolize PEG stearates by cleaving the ester bond to release the fatty acid.
Learn more about PEG-150 DistearatePropylene 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 GlycolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate is a gentle, coconut-derived cleansing surfactant. It's most commonly found in "sulfate-free" cleansers.
As a taurate, it belongs to a class of anionic surfactants prized for being efficient at cleansing without harshness, good performance in hard water, stability across a wide pH range, and easily biodegradable.
It is able to lift away oil and grime and make a nice lather without stripping your skin, so it's a good pick for sensitive skin.
Safety-wise, it has a good record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and concentrations go up to 11% in leave-on products or 13% in rinse-off products.
Despite being derived from coconut oil, this ingredient is fungal acne safe. It's a water-soluble surfactant with no fatty oils or esters left intact on skin for the Malassezia yeast to feed.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl TaurateWater. 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
