What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Ammonium Chloride
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl Lactate
EmollientMethyl Glucose Caprate/Caprylate/Oleate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Laurate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMethylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycol Distearate, Ammonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Lauryl Lactate, Methyl Glucose Caprate/Caprylate/Oleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Propanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate
Surfactant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-73
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-10
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Manganese PCA
HumectantZinc PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientLavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Isethionate
CleansingSodium Methyl Isethionate
EmulsifyingSodium Laurate
CleansingCoconut Acid
Cleansing
Serine
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-73, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-10, Magnesium PCA, Manganese PCA, Zinc PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Lauryl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Betaine, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Laurate, Coconut Acid, Serine, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
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 ExtractCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
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 PropanediolWater. 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
