What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentCitrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract
Cleansing
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium PCA, Sorbic Acid, C10-18 Triglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Resveratrol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Citric Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ubiquinone, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Boswellia Serrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Rosa Damascena Flower
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthyl Vanillate
Perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Squalane, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Panthenol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Zea Mays Starch, Rosa Damascena Flower, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethyl Vanillate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel 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.
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 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 StearatePhenethyl Alcohol is a colorless and aromatic alohol. It is naturally occuring in essential oils.
The scent of this ingredient is floral and often compared to rose.
Like other alcohols, this ingredient helps prevent the growth of bacteria. However, its main purpose is to impact a fragrance.
Learn more about Phenethyl AlcoholTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
