What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glycerin
HumectantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSodium Phytate
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSuccinic Acid
BufferingAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Water, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Water, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Succinic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Madecassoside
AntioxidantSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingTorreya Nucifera Seed Oil
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingWater, Propanediol, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Madecassoside, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Torreya Nucifera Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Achillea Millefolium 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.
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
Asiatic Acid is one of the four main actives found in Centella Asiatica. Its headline job is stimulating collagen.
Lab tests on human skin cells show Asiatic Acid tells your skin to make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and bouncy.
It also calms inflammation and acts as an antioxidant so it can help skin heal faster, rebuild itself, and repair a damaged barrier.
And on naming, even though "acid" is in the name, it's nothing like an AHA or BHA exfoliant. It's a gentle firming and soothing ingredient that supports your skin barrier.
Concentration-wise, Asiatic Acid is potent at very low doses and usually shows up as a small fraction of a broader centella extract.
Analyses of centella material put Asiatic Acid reported in the range of 0.2-3% of the extract.
This ingredient is non-sensitizing and guinea pig sensitization testing also found it to be a weak sensitizer. That means the risk of acquiring contact sensitivty is quite low.
Allergic contact dermatitis does exist but is also very rare; documented cases tend to involve prolonged use on broken skin plus co-sensitization to fragrance ingredients.
Learn more about Asiatic AcidAsiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It's the reason centella-based products have a strong reputation for repairing and calming skin, along with its sibling compound Madecassoside.
Research from 2016-2025 supports its role in:
You'll usually find this in concentrations between 0.2-5%.
Learn more about AsiaticosideThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Madecassic Acid is one of the four star actives in Centella Asiatica. In skincare, it earns its keep as a calming and repairing ingredient.
It works through the same core pathways as the rest of the centella family.
First, it turns down inflammation so it helps with things like redness and general upset skin.
Second, it acts as an antioxidant which means it helps protect skin from daily stress and damage.
And third, it nudges the skin to make more collagen and rebuild its support structure.
That combination is why the whole Centella family is known for calming skin, strengthening the barrier, fading redness, and giving anti-aging benefits.
It's worth being honest about the evidence here; a lot of the strongest data is on the full extract or a Madecassoside/Asiaticoside rather than Madecassic Acid alone. Reviewers also note more long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm the full potential.
Concentration-wise, this ingredient is rarely used pure and usually shows up as part of a standardized centella extract where reported content ranges from 0.02-3.06%.
Finished products typically run somewhere in the 0.1-10% range depending on the format.
In real-world tolerance tests, a repeat-insult patch test on an eye lotion with 0.2% Centella extract showed no irritation or allergic contact dermatitis in 54 subjects. And a mascara with 0.5% Madecassoside caused neither irritation nor sensitization in 109 subjects.
Allergy risk is very low, but not zero. Centella and its constituents are classified as weak contact sensitizers and some rare cases of allergic contact dermatitis exist.
Learn more about Madecassic AcidMadecassoside is one of four active compounds found in Centella asiatica and is one of the main reasons Centella is so effective at calming irritated skin and supporting the moisture barrier.
There's a solid body of peer-reviewed research backing Madecassoside for several skin benefits. Studies have found:
Madecassoside pairs well with other hydrating or antioxidant ingredients like Ascorbic Acid or Hyaluronic Acid.
Learn more about MadecassosidePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum