What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
HumectantXylitol
HumectantHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Phytate
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantArtemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSucrose
HumectantSodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Xylitol, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Polyglutamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sucrose, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Citrus Junos Fruit Water
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingAmyris Balsamifera Bark Oil
MaskingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitrus Junos Fruit Water, Water, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tocopherol, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is one of the most researched botanical extracts in skincare with decades of studies backing its effects on inflammation, collagen, and the skin barrier.
That research keeps pointing back to the same four triterpenoid saponins: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.
These compounds allow centella to dial back inflammation, encourage the skin to build and hold onto collagen, support the barrier and hydration, and bring solid antioxidant activity to protect against signs of aging.
Centella also carries a nice supporting cast of Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and amino acids. Put it all together and you get an ingredient that soothes, hydrates, and protects, all at once.
Most of centella's magic comes from the four big compounds (Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid). These are the actives doing the heavy lifting in almost every centella study.
Here is the short version of what they do in the skin:
So it is not just soothing for the sake of soothing. Centella calms the skin AND helps it rebuild.
Just FYI, not all centella on an ingredient list is the same. What you are getting actually depends on the extract:
Fun fact on the ratios: the leaves tend to be richest in Madecassoside and Asiaticoside, and lower in the two acids. The exact amounts shift with where the plant is grown and how it is processed. This means purity really does vary brand to brand.
Centella is one of the most easygoing actives out there.
It layers well with basically everything: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamin C, and also pairs nicely with stronger actives like retinoids and exfoliating acids where it can help take the edge off irritation.
On the safety side, centella and its triterpenes are classified as weak sensitizers, meaning allergic reactions are possible but uncommon.
Patch tests at 1% and 5% came back negative in test panels, and creams at typical use levels did not cause allergic reactions across large groups of people.
But as with any new active, a patch test is still a smart move for very reactive skin.
Centella is widely used because it is effective at low percentages. For context, human safety testing found no meaningful irritation from creams containing centella extract at everyday use levels (the tested amounts were well under 1%).
The irritancy threshold in animal testing was also above 30% (so real-world formulas sit far below anything concerning).
In collagen lab studies, higher concentrations drove more collagen synthesis, so serums built around centella tend to feature it more prominently.
Bottom line: you will find centella working nicely anywhere from a fraction of a percent up to hero-ingredient levels depending on whether it is a supporting soother or the main event.
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 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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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