What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Carnitine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAesculus Hippocastanum Extract
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Astringent
Decapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Hedera Helix Extract
AntimicrobialTripeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Solidago Virgaurea Extract
Skin ConditioningRhus Coriaria Leaf/Stem Extract
Antioxidant
Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningArnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSpirulina Platensis Powder
Skin ProtectingCitrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Amara Peel Extract
MaskingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Pullulan
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSilica
Abrasive
Lecithin
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aroma
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic Colorant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Propanediol, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Caffeine, Acetyl Carnitine Hcl, Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Decapeptide-2, Hedera Helix Extract, Tripeptide-3, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Solidago Virgaurea Extract, Rhus Coriaria Leaf/Stem Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Spirulina Platensis Powder, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Extract, Panthenol, Serine, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Aroma, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCamellia 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 GlycerinThis ingredient is made when the Lactobacillus bacteria (the same kind that makes yogurt and kimchi) are allowed to ferment a nutrient medium.
As it ferments, it collects lactic acid, peptides, enzymes, and other bioactive metabolites to provide:
A 2023 review noted that probiotic fermentation ingredients like this one can enhance antioxidant capacity, reduce UV-induced oxidative damage, and support barrier function.
One clinical study from the same year showed a Lactobacillus ferment lysate significantly reduced transepidermal water loss and improved skin hydration.
Another review highlighted that topical Lactobacillus-based preparations can improve ceramide levels in the stratum corneum, support barrier integrity, and even help reduce S. aureus colonization in atopic dermatitis.
Why is this so cool?
Basically, your skin's outer layer works as a brick wall; skin cells are bricks and ceramides are the mortar holding it together. Moisture escapes, irritants get in, and your skin gets dry and reactive when ceramide levels drop. On top of that, "bad" skin bacteria S. aureus loves to move in when your barrier is weak to make inflammation and irritation worse.
So Lactobacillus ferment is basically patching the wall and evicting the troublemaker when it boosts ceramide production and help keep S. aureus in check.
On top of all this, it also acts as a mild antimicrobial preservative booster.
Just so you know, most studies focus on specific strains or the lysate form rather than this generic "Lactobacillus Ferment", so results can vary.
Though it's a promising ingredient, it doesn't have decades of robust clinical data behind it just yet.
Lactobacillus Ferment is generally considered safe for fungal-acne prone skin. The key thing to understand is that it comes from bacteria, not yeast or fungus.
Yeast-derived ferments (like galactomyces) have been shown to activate a protein that's linked to Malassezia-related skin issues whereas lactobacillus doesn't have that problem.
Its byproducts also don't contain the types of fatty acids (C11-24 chain lengths) that Malassezia feeds on.
Learn more about Lactobacillus FermentPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
