What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCeteth-10 Phosphate
CleansingDicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLimonene
Perfuming
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingSymphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Bakuchiol, Niacinamide, Sclerotium Gum, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Limonene, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Ceramide EOP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 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 OilPhenoxyethanol 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 Hydroxide
