What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Brassica Oleracea Botrytis Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Masking
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Citric Acid, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Brassica Oleracea Botrytis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Cocoate, Butylene Glycol, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract
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 OilWater. 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
