What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Methylpropanediol
SolventPropanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAminobutyric Acid
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sea Water
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
4-Terpineol
Masking
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Nardus Oil
Masking
Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Methylpropanediol, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Arginine, Carbomer, Aminobutyric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Sea Water, Disodium EDTA, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Oil, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 4-Terpineol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Camellia Sinensis Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Trehalose, Carthamus Tinctorius Leaf Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Panthenol, Ceramide NP
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polygonum 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
AntimicrobialHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Water, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica 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, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Allantoin, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Carbomer, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA
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 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 CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
Learn more about MethylpropanediolPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser. On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids If you're prone to flare-ups, you might want to patch-test or skip this one.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
