What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Acetic Acid
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Acetic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Vegetable Oil, Polyacrylamide, Carbomer, Laureth-7, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
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
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 ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
