What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Mel
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Acetum
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Panthenol, Piroctone Olamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Mel, Allantoin, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Acetum, Potassium Sorbate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Parfum, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningPichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Stearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Glycolic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ubiquinone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
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 ExtractGlycerin (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 StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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
