What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Methyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Glycol
SolventCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Coco-Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Gluceth-10, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Benzyl Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Sodium Polyacrylate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-32
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Parfum
Masking
Polyquaternium-7
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Root Extract
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, PEG-32, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Parfum, Polyquaternium-7, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCamellia 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 ExtractCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water is also known as green tea hydrosol. It is the water leftover from steeping or steam-distilling tea.
It's mostly in cosmetics to lend a light tea scent and gentle refreshing feel (tonic) rather than acting as an active.
Unlike the extract, this ingredient only carries trace amounts of catechins, amino acids, and caffeine that makes tea leaf extract famous.
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf WaterDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinWater. 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
