What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Disodium EDTA
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Zingiber Officinale Water
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate
Emulsifying
Neofinetia Falcata Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningPerilla Frutescens Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Zingiber Officinale Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Panthenol, Betaine, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Neofinetia Falcata Callus Culture Extract, Perilla Frutescens Extract, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Trehalose, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Tripeptide-1
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 ExtractDisodium 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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
