What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sea Water
HumectantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialNelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Decyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lauryl Glucoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Coco-Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sea Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sorbitol, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Oryza Sativa Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Trehalose, Panthenol, Benzoic Acid, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Folic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Copolymer
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientSpirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Squalane
Emollient
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Coco-Betaine, Glycerin, Arginine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Squalane, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCamellia 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 ExtractCoco-Betaine is the natural version of Cocamidopropyl Betaine. It is often derived from coconuts.
Coco-Betaine is a surfactant, meaning it helps remove dirt and oil from the skin.
Disodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilWater. 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
