What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Diglycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-6
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Water, Myristic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide Mea, Diglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycol Stearate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-6, PEG-100 Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-10
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Althaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningUsnea Barbata Extract
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyquaternium-10, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Phytosterols, Lecithin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCamellia 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 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 GlycerinGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung issues and hypertension.
Learn more about Scutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
