What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Erythritol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lonicera Caprifolium Extract
AstringentLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Erythritol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Betaine, Allantoin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Root Extract
Perfuming
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Root Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Betaine, Arginine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineCamellia 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 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
