What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningYogurt Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingCucumis Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSpirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeParfum
MaskingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Yogurt Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal
Morinda Citrifolia Extract 35.511%
AstringentWater
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Lauramide DEA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
CleansingButeth-3
SolventPiroctone Olamine
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
MaskingSodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Mume Fruit Extract
HumectantLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Leaf Extract
AstringentPinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTributyl Citrate
SolventTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantMorinda Citrifolia Extract 35.511%, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Lauramide DEA, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Buteth-3, Piroctone Olamine, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Leaf Extract, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Tributyl Citrate, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dextrin, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
Reviews
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 ExtractCitric 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 AcidCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is below the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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