This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Panthenol and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This calming toner is formulated around Allantoin and Madecassoside to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingLecithin
Emollient
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Myristyl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Trimetaphosphate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil, Betaine, Mannitol, Pentylene Glycol, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Ectoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Phytosterols, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Oleate, Tromethamine, Lecithin, Lauryl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Myristyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Trimetaphosphate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Erythritol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTrehalose
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGuaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Erythritol, Xylitol, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Trehalose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Citrate, Guaiazulene, Citric Acid, Ectoin, Madecassoside, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Bisabolol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract, Zinc PCA
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.
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 preservatives
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 GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEctoin is a compound found naturally in some species of bacteria. It can be synthetically created for skincare use.
This ingredient is an osmolyte; Osmolytes help organisms survive osmotic shock (it protects them from extreme conditions). It does this by influencing the properties of biological fluids within cells.
When applied to the skin, ectoin helps bind water molecules to protect our skin. The water forms a sort of armor for the parts of our skin cells, enzymes, proteins, and more.
Besides this, ectoin has many uses in skincare:
A study from 2004 found ectoin to counteract the damage from UV-A exposure at different cell levels. It has also been shown to protect skin against both UV-A, UV-B rays, infrared light, and visible light.
Studies show ectoin to have dual-action pollution protection: first, it protects our skin from further pollution damage. Second, it helps repair damage from pollution.
In fact, ectoin has been shown to help with:
Fun fact: In the EU, ectoin is used in inhalation medication as an anti-pollution ingredient.
Ectoin is a highly stable ingredient. It has a wide pH range of 1-9. Light, oxygen, and temperature do not affect this ingredient.
The chemical name for this ingredient is Tetrahydromethylpyrimidine Carboxylic Acid.
Learn more about EctoinEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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
