What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Triethanolamine
BufferingPichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMenthol
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 20, Triethanolamine, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Malachite Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Menthol
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantKaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Agave Tequilana Stem Extract
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Pascopyron Smithii Extract
Skin ConditioningSpirulina Maxima Extract
SmoothingBrassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCoriandrum Sativum Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialNigella Sativa Seed Extract
Perfuming
Rubus Hirsutus Fruit/Leaf Extract
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tourmaline Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Kaolin, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Agave Tequilana Stem Extract, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Hydrated Silica, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Propanediol, Hexylene Glycol, Arginine, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pascopyron Smithii Extract, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Coriandrum Sativum Leaf Extract, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Rubus Hirsutus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tourmaline Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, CI 77288, CI 77289, CI 77891
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 ExtractCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
