What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Tromethamine
BufferingVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Squalene
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin Protecting
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningZanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCastanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Betaine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Carbomer, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Squalene, Butylene Glycol, Betaine Salicylate, Gluconolactone, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Lactobionic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Beta-Glucan, Propolis Extract, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
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 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 ExtractCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 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 HyaluronateTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
