What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Avena Sativa Bran Extract
Abrasive
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lauric Acid, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-40 Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCandelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Malic Acid
Buffering
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBetaine
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Zinc Oxide, Citric Acid, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolMagnesium Aluminum Silicate is a type of silica. It comes from naturally occuring minerals such as silicate ores and clay.
Magnesium aluminum silicate is used for enhancing texture and as an absorbent. Due to its large molecular size, it is unable to be absorbed into the skin.
Like other types of silica, this ingredient can be used to thicken a product. As an absorbent, it may be used to absorb extra water or help prevent clumping.
Although “aluminum” in an ingredient name can raise red flags for some consumers, the form and usage context matter significantly. For typical topical applications, there is no substantial evidence of health risks - such as cancer, neurotoxicity, or systemic “aluminum overload.”
Learn more about Magnesium Aluminum SilicatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
