This calming toner is formulated around Panthenol and Sodium PCA to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
C13-15 Alkane
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate
Emulsifying
Ceteth-20 Phosphate
CleansingSodium PCA
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
ChelatingPantolactone
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, C13-15 Alkane, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Ceteth-20 Phosphate, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Pantolactone, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Diphenyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
ChelatingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tetraacetylphytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycosphingolipids
EmollientWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Citrate, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Phospholipids, Cholesterol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide As, Stearic Acid, Tetraacetylphytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Glycosphingolipids
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSodium Phytate is the sodium salt of Phytic acid, a compound that plants store phosphorus in. It's the plant-derived alternative to ingredients like Disodium EDTA.
In skincare, this ingredient is a chelator that grabs onto trace metal ions like iron and copper that sneak into formulas through water/raw materials.
Those metals speed up oxidation so binding them keeps oils, fragrance, and actives from going off, stops color changes, and helps the preservative system work harder.
Survey data shows usage levels range from 0.0099%-0.5% in leave-on products, 0.025%-0.3% in rinse-off, and up to 0.05% in eye-area products. Suppliers typically recommend a range between 0.05-0.5%.
Learn more about Sodium PhytateWater. 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
