What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Hydrolyzed Oat Protein
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Niacinamide, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine, Tetrasodium EDTA
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclohexane
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Water, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Cyclohexane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
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 ExtractCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
