What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Borate
BufferingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Geraniol
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, Sodium Borate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Geraniol, Farnesol, Limonene, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSolvent Yellow 33
Blue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Azelaic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Isopentyldiol, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Solvent Yellow 33, Blue 1 Lake
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHamamelis Virginiana Extract comes from the witch hazel plant. The witch hazel plant is native to eastern North America. Many parts of this plant are used in skincare from its twigs to its leaves.
Witch Hazel is an astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial ingredient.
This 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 OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
