This acne night moisturizer is formulated around Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil and Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil to clear breakouts and balance excess oil.
This toner is formulated around Tocopheryl Acetate to brighten.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Tapioca Starch
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Polyisobutene
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Leptospermum Petersonii Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Polyisobutene, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Limonene, Citral, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Diglycerin
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
ChelatingTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Diglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, Cinnamyl Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimonenePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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
