What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningZiziphus Spina-Christi Leaf
Trehalose
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Ziziphus Spina-Christi Leaf, Trehalose, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Spermidine
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Undecane
EmollientTridecane
Perfuming
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingPropylene Carbonate
SolventCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Tricholoma Matsutake Mycelium Ferment Extract
HumectantTricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Resveratrol, Spermidine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Pentapeptide-18, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Undecane, Tridecane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Carbomer, Ergothioneine, Tricholoma Matsutake Mycelium Ferment Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Ectoin, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Citric Acid
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 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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is used in skincare because it tends to be more formulation friendly than pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
According to research, MAP has three major benefits:
While MAP is gentler on the skin than ascorbic acid, it is thought to be less easily absorbed into the skin.
In a well-known absorption study, pure vitamin C increased skin vitamin C levels when formulated correctly, but derivatives like MAP did not in that experiment. This suggests MAP may not always convert into active vitamin C in the skin.
Due to MAP's stability up to a pH level of 7, it is more stable to air and sunlight exposure than ascorbic acid. The best pH range for MAP is between 5 and 6.
Learn more about Magnesium Ascorbyl PhosphatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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
