What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Perlite
Absorbent
Parfum
Masking
Kaolin
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide
EmulsifyingLauroyl/Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide
EmollientPolyquaternium-6
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Urea
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 47005
Cosmetic ColorantMyristic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Glycol Distearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Perlite, Parfum, Kaolin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide, Lauroyl/Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide, Polyquaternium-6, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Sorbitol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, CI 42090, CI 47005
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dextrin
AbsorbentCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientGlycosphingolipids
EmollientWater, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Parfum, CI 42090, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dextrin, CI 19140, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sucrose Stearate, Glycosphingolipids
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 ExtractCi 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 GlycolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
