What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPassiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Achillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingSalvia Officinalis Extract
Antimicrobial
Urtica Dioica Extract
AstringentEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentCitrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Xylityl Sesquicaprylate, Panthenol, Potassium Sorbate, Silica, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Salvia Officinalis Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Passiflora Incarnata Extract
AstringentCalendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eleutherococcus Senticosus Root Extract
AstringentAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingSalvia Lavandulifolia Herb Oil
Perfuming
Urtica Dioica
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Silica, Tocopherol, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Eleutherococcus Senticosus Root Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Salvia Lavandulifolia Herb Oil, Urtica Dioica, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Achillea Millefolium Extract comes from the yarrow plant. Yarrow is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids.
Citric 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 AcidDecyl 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 not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideThis botanical extract is also known as horsetail extract. It mainly acts as an emollient, skin soother, and astringent.
A study from 2023 found compounds in Equisetum Arvense showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in irritated keratinocytes (the main cell in your outermost layer of skin).
Another study using a cream with horsetail and soybean extract found 80% of participants showed at least a 26% improvement in forehead wrinkles after 8 weeks.
Animal research has shown topical Equisetum Arvense stimulated skin and tissue growth in mice.
The research so far is encouraging, but still in its early days. But it's a lovely supporting ingredient and can be a welcome addition to any routine.
Learn more about Equisetum Arvense 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 GlycerinSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolXanthan 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
