What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Lauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientArachidic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Dextrin
AbsorbentCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicWater, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Palmitic Acid, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Potassium Benzoate, Salicylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Arachidic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Oleic Acid, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Dextrin, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Trehalose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Succinic Acid
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylol Urea
AntimicrobialHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Algin
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Water, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Trehalose, Glycerin, Succinic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dimethylol Urea, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Juice, Hydrolyzed Algin, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc Sulfate
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
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as tea tree oil. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
Tea tree oil is a complex lipophilic (fat-loving) oil that contains around 100 compounds with terpinen-4-ol being the most abundant (~40%).
Terpinen-4-ol is responsible for tea tree oil's broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and makes it a well-researched option for acne.
Clinical studies support 5% tea tree oil as an effective topical treatment for mild to moderate acne. A study with 124 patients compared 5% tea tree oil gel to 5% benzoyl peroxide and both reduced acne (though tea tree oil worked more slowly).
Besides acne, it is also seen in anti-dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments for it's antimicrobial and anti-seborrheic properties.
Safety-wise, the allergic potential of low concentrations on healthy skin is considered low. However, oxidized (old or improperly stored) tea tree oil is a stronger sensitizer.
Irritation can also occur if using the undiluted oil on skin; it's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted cosmetic formula. This is because regulations require tea tree oil in cosmetics to be stabilized to prevent degradation.
This ingredient has been deemed safe up to 2% in shampoo, 1% in cleansers, and 0.1% in face cream by the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).
There is some lab evidence that tea tree oil is antifungal against Malassezia, but it is a supportive option at best and not a replacement for proven antifungal treatments.
Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf OilChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
