What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
CI 77004
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
CI 77891
Cosmetic Colorant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Artemisia Absinthium Extract
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Moroccan Lava Clay
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Succinic Acid
BufferingGlyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Glucose
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Silica
Abrasive
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingGellan Gum
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, CI 77004, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Propanediol, CI 77891, 1,2-Hexanediol, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Zea Mays Starch, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Moroccan Lava Clay, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Bicarbonate, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Gluconolactone, Succinic Acid, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Hydroxystearic Acid, Glucose, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Silica, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Oleanolic Acid, Tromethamine, Gellan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Phytate, Caffeine, Carbomer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 ingredient is also known as tea tree oil. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Tea tree oil is a complex lipophilic (fat-loving) oil that contains around 100 compounds with terpinen-4-ol being the most abundant (~40%).
Terpinen-4-ol is responsible for tea tree oil's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and makes it a well-researched option for acne.
Clinical studies support 5% tea tree oil as an effective topical treatment for mild to moderate acne. A study with 124 patients compared 5% tea tree oil gel to 5% benzoyl peroxide and both reduced acne (though tea tree oil worked more slowly).
Besides acne, it is also seen in anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments for it's antimicrobial and anti-seborrheic properties.
Safety-wise, the allergic potential of low concentrations on healthy skin is considered low. However, oxidized (old or improperly stored) tea tree oil is a stronger sensitizer.
Irritation can also occur if using the undiluted oil on skin; it's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted cosmetic formula. This is because regulations require tea tree oil in cosmetics to be stabilized to prevent degradation.
This ingredient has been deemed safe up to 2% in shampoo, 1% in cleansers, and 0.1% in face cream by the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).
There is some lab evidence that tea tree oil is antifungal against Malassezia, but it is a supportive option at best and not a replacement for proven antifungal treatments.
Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf OilSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
