This hydrating toner is formulated around Allantoin and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCeteareth-20
CleansingTrideceth-10
CleansingHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
ChelatingParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingBenzoic Acid
MaskingLecithin
EmollientAvena Strigosa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Allantoin, Ceteareth-20, Trideceth-10, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-12, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Lecithin, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingDimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Oleate
EmulsifyingOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientC12-14 Alketh-12
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract
HumectantNelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Ferment
Skin ConditioningMentha Rotundifolia Leaf Extract
TonicCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialThymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingTocopherol
AntioxidantAmp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Vinyldimethicone
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Ceteareth-20
CleansingLecithin
EmollientSteareth-100
Gel FormingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Pvp, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate, Octyldodeceth-16, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, C12-14 Alketh-12, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Mentha Rotundifolia Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Vinyldimethicone, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Ceteareth-20, Lecithin, Steareth-100, Hexylene Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Ceteareth-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-20Citric 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.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPeg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
As a solubilizer, it helps dissolve ingredients into a water-based version. It is also an emulsifer. Emulsifier help prevent oils and water from separating. Both these properties help create evenly-spread and uniform products.
Basically, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps hold ingredients together.
Learn more about PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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