What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMenthoxypropanediol
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingHydroxypropylcellulose
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Succinic Acid
BufferingMenthol
Masking
Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide
TonicPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Menthoxypropanediol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Glycerin, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Maltodextrin, Mentha Piperita Oil, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Succinic Acid, Menthol, Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Sodium Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Potassium Sorbate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Maltodextrin, Sorbic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCamellia 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 ExtractThis ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium 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 Water
