What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dextran
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentPisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningSprout Extract
Antioxidant
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Dextran, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Sprout Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 80, Mentha Piperita Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
Serine
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Caffeine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Hyaluronic Acid, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Biotin, Glycine, Alanine, Mentha Piperita Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Serine, Menthol, Tocopherol, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Copper Gluconate, Ascorbic Acid, Phenylpropanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This biometic peptide is designed to support hair growth.
According to a manufacturer, it stimulates hair growth by:
The manufacturer has found combining this ingredient with red clover extract (Capixyl) boosted benefits. Not only does it enforce the scalp's extracellular matrix, it also inhibits the enzyme that creates DHT, a hormone that leads to hair loss.
While this ingredient is promising, more research is still needed to confirm its full effectiveness.
Learn more about Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3Camellia 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 ExtractEthylhexylglycerin 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 essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilTocopherol 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
