What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Cellulose
Absorbent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningFlower Extract
Usnea Barbata Extract
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Citrus Limon Fruit Water
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Althaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentPortulaca Pilosa Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cellulose, Propylene Glycol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Flower Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Carbomer, Polysorbate 80, Citrus Limon Fruit Water, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningQuaternium-60
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Water, Quaternium-60, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Betaine Salicylate, Octyldodecanol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA
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 ExtractCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCarica Papaya Fruit Extract comes from the flesh of the papaya. It's a skin conditioning agent that carries a mix of bioactives like papain, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.
These bioactive compounds give it two main talking points:
1. Papain is a proteolytic enzyme that provides mild exfoliation, helping skin look smoother and more even.
2. The carotenoids and vitamin C provide some antioxidant activity.
It's pretty compatible with most ingredients, but just sure to space out enzyme products with strong acids/retinoids to avoid over-doing it.
Maximum reported concentration is around 0.1% and most leave-on products use just 0.05%. If you see higher figures like 5-10%, this is usually the pre-diluted material from raw extract suppliers.
This ingredient has an assuring safety record and there's a lack of clinical case reports of dermatitis from using it.
The only caveat is allergy: patch test if you have a papaya or latex-fruit allergy.
Learn more about Carica Papaya Fruit ExtractCentella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
Studies show the compounds in centella help with:
The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.
Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica ExtractDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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
