What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Silica
Abrasive
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole
Colloidal Platinum
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Mica, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Lecithin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-17, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Colloidal Platinum, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Boron Nitride, Hexylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia 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 GlycolHexylene 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 GlycolMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
