What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Honey Extract
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantLactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingCI 77480
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingC12-13 Pareth-9
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Propolis Extract, Honey Extract, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Royal Jelly Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Coptis Japonica Extract, Malt Extract, CI 77480, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Allantoin, Adenosine, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Arginine, Ceramide NP, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, C12-13 Pareth-9, Hydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum, Carbomer, Water, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Aroma
Honey Extract
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Bee Venom
Astringent
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Limonene
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Trehalose, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Aroma, Honey Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine, Ethyl Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Propolis Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Bee Venom, Zea Mays Oil, Limonene, Tocopherol
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
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDisodium 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 GlycerinThis ingredient comes from honey made by bees. It is hydrating, antibacterial, anti-aging, and skin soothing.
Honey also contains amino acids, peptides, Vitamins A, C, and E.
The humectant property of honey draws moisture from the air to your skin. This makes it great at helping to hydrate the skin.
Honey may help reduce the signs of aging due to its antioxidant properties. Fun fact: darker honey has more antioxidants than light honey. The antibacterial property of honey may make it effective at helping to treat acne by killing acne-causing bacteria.
Many people wonder if honey extract is vegan. It is technically a byproduct from bees. This is because honey is created from the digestive enzymes in a bee's stomach.
Remember to be kind to bees :) They are important for many ecosystems and are endangered.
Learn more about Honey ExtractPropolis Extract is a natural ingredient derived from propolis (also known as bee glue). Bees make propolis by mixing their saliva and beeswax with resins collected from tree buds and plants.
This ingredient is packed with bioactive compounds like flavonoids, phenolic acids, and amino acids that give it antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Research shows it can help:
It also pairs nicely with hydrating ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides.
Just so you know, Propolis Extract is recognized as a contact allergen. In patch tests done in the EU, roughly 1-6% of patients react to it. Be sure to steer clear of this ingredient if you have a known allergy to bee products.
Since it is an animal-derived product, this ingredient is not considered vegan. For vegan alternatives, check out Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate or Centella Asiatica Extract.
Learn more about Propolis ExtractWater. 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
