What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide
EmulsifyingLauroyl/Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Menthol
Masking
Xylityl Phosphate
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXylitol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycolic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide, Lauroyl/Myristoyl Methyl Glucamide, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Menthol, Xylityl Phosphate, Sclerotium Gum, Xylitol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMoonstone Extract
Skin ConditioningMalpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Camphor
Masking
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Tapioca Starch
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Extract, Glycerin, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Decyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Moonstone Extract, Malpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Camphor, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Cocos Nucifera Water, Tapioca Starch, Thioctic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
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 AcidCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideDecyl 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 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Oleate is the ester of glycerin and oleic acid. This ingredient is mainly an emollient and emulsifier.
Emollients soften and hydrate the skin by creating a thin film on top to trap in moisture. As an emulsifier, glyceryl oleate helps stabilize formulations by preventing ingredients such as oil and water from separating. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps helps thicken water-in-oil formulations, shower gels, and hair shampoos.
In some products, this ingredient may be used as a fragrance / perfuming ingredient. The scent of this ingredient is described to be "waxy".
Glyceryl oleate is created from oils rich in oleic acid, such as peanut oil and olive oil.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateXanthan 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
