What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantGlycine
Buffering
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Phytate
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Glycine, Zinc Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Caffeine, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Sodium Phytate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantGlycine
Buffering
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Apigenin
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Allium Cepa Bulb Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pisum Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTrifolium Pratense Extract
Skin ConditioningBis-PEG-12 Dimethicone
Emollient
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Maltitol
HumectantXylitol
Humectant
Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract
Skin ProtectingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Glycine, Zinc Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Pisum Sativum Sprout Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Trifolium Pratense Extract, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Maltitol, Xylitol, Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
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 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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Hydroxyethylcellulose 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 HydroxyethylcelluloseLarix Europaea is a larch tree native to Europe.
It’s one of the key ingredients in Redensyl, an alternative to Minoxidil for hair growth. Redensyl works by targeting stem cells and fibroblasts from the top, inner layer of your skin.
The bark of Larix Europaea is rich in antioxidants and plant compounds such as flavonoids, spiro-polyphenols, and procyanidins.
Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds found in many plantsand foods like tea, wine, and chocolate. They’re known for their strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Larix Europaea Wood ExtractPhenoxyethanol 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.
This is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractSodium metabisulfite is also known as Sodium Pyrosulfite. It is a preservative, antioxidant, and disinfectant.
As a preservative, it helps stabilize cosmetic formulas without affecting their color or scent.
Water. 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 WaterZinc chloride is a white crystalline compound. You'll most likely see it in personal care products such as mouthwashes, skincare, hair conditioners, and bath products.
