What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid 8%
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Emulsifying Wax Nf
Cucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Arginine
Masking
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycolic Acid 8%, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salicylic Acid 2%, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycine Soja Oil, Stearic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Arginine, Glutamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningAlumina
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Volcanic Sand
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingEmulsifying Wax Nf
Kaolin
Abrasive
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlutathione
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArbutin
Antioxidant
Sea Salt
Abrasive
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Alumina, Cetearyl Alcohol, Volcanic Sand, Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Kaolin, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Glutathione, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Arbutin, Sea Salt, Ascorbic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract comes from the pineapple fruit. Pineapples are native to South America. The components of pineapple give it mild exfoliating and skin nourishing properties.
Pineapples contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, copper, potassium, niacin, and other minerals. It also contains many phytochemicals, including ferulic acid, coumaric acid, arbutin, and more. These help condition the skin.
Bromelain can be found in all parts of a pineapple. It is a mixture of enzymes and is mildly exfoliating.
Learn more about Ananas Sativus Fruit ExtractArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract is from the bearberry plant. It has antioxidant and skin brightening properties.
Bearberry contains arbutin, a skin brightening ingredient.
Camellia Sinensis Extract is from the oil in tea plant leaves. The leaves give us various types of tea: green, black, oolong, and white.
Camellia Sinensis leaves have many benefits. It contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules that damage skin cells. The antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.
Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. L-theanine is an amino acid that makes up most of the amino acids found in tea leaves. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.
Tea leaves also contain Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis ExtractCarica Papaya Fruit Extract comes from the papaya fruit. Papayas were first domesticated in Mexico and Central America.
This fruit extract contains papain and chymopapain, two types of enzymes. These enzyme have exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties. One study shows papain may help reduce scarring.
Papaya is also a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your skin against damage from free-radical molecules. This may help protect against signs of aging. One antioxidant present in papayas is lycopene.
Papaya also contains Vitamin A, also known as retinol.
While papaya is used as an ingredient to help lighten skin, research is limited on this.
The seeds of papaya have been found to have anti-fungal activity.
Learn more about Carica Papaya Fruit ExtractCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCucumis Sativus Extract comes from the cucumber. Cucumbers have anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating properties.
Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
We don't have a description for Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract yet.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterThis is not considered an INCI ingredient.
Emulsifying Wax NF is about 2/3 cetearyl alcohol and 1/3 polysorbate 60. In cosmetics, this blend is usually listed out as the individual ingredients.
The NF stands for National Formulary, meaning it conforms to the approved composition.
This ingredient is used as an emulsifier. It stabilizes the product by keeping oils and waters together.
Learn more about Emulsifying Wax Nf
