What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone, Water, Isododecane, Glycerin, Silica, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Didecene
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Soybean Glycerides
EmollientHydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Didecene, Glycerin, Propanediol, Isoamyl Laurate, Squalane, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Soybean Glycerides, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Sodium Chloride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77163, CI 42090, CI 77289, CI 77288, CI 77510, CI 77742, CI 15850, CI 45410, CI 73360, CI 77007, CI 19140, CI 15985
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 ExtractCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis ingredient is a silicone-based emulsifer that helps the water and oil phases play nicely together. It's so effective because one end of the molecule loves oil and the other one loves water.
Besides holding formulas together, it also leaves a silky and lightweight feel on skin without the greasiness. A manufacturer also claims it can help with the controlled release of active ingredients.
The CIR Expert Panel found this ingredient to not be sensitizing in concentrations up to 15% in human maximazation testing and dimethicone-based compounds were not comedogenic.
It has a high molecular weight well above 1,000 g/mol which means it limits meaningful skin penetration.
A 2019 study specifically tested this ingredient and found no observable Malassezia growth in its presence.
Learn more about Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 DimethiconeDisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
This ingredient is an emulsifer and stabilizer. It comes from isostearic acid and polyglycerin.
As an emulsifier, it helps blend oil and water to improve texture, spreadbility, and application.
Due to it being derived from isostearic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-4 IsostearateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
