What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC13-15 Alkane
SolventPropanediol
Solvent
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningLactose
HumectantMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBetula Alba Leaf Extract
AstringentAchillea Millefolium Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingTilia Platyphyllos Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, C13-15 Alkane, Propanediol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Lactose, Maltodextrin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Butylene Glycol, Sucrose Stearate, Milk Protein, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tilia Platyphyllos Flower Extract, Lactobacillus, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Lactic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Bud Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This botanical extract is also known as horsetail extract. It mainly acts as an emollient, skin soother, and astringent.
A study from 2023 found compounds in Equisetum Arvense showed significant anti-inflammatory effects in irritated keratinocytes (the main cell in your outermost layer of skin).
Another study using a cream with horsetail and soybean extract found 80% of participants showed at least a 26% improvement in forehead wrinkles after 8 weeks.
Animal research has shown topical Equisetum Arvense stimulated skin and tissue growth in mice.
The research so far is encouraging, but still in its early days. But it's a lovely supporting ingredient and can be a welcome addition to any routine.
Learn more about Equisetum Arvense 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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract comes from rosemary. Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean.
While Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil can be volatile due to its fragrant properties, the fragrance components are usually removed in the leaf extract.
Rosemary Leaf Extract contains many antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid. Rosemarinic acid, a compound found in rosemary leaf, has been found to help soothe skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractSage leaf extract is a culinary and medicinal herb with antibacterial, antioxidant, and soothing properties.
This ingredient is made up of 75-90% ursolic acid, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound.
This ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylates CopolymerWater. 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
