What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsopentyldiol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantButylene Glycol
HumectantC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningVitex Agnus Castus Extract
AstringentChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningArctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningChamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingSqualane
EmollientChamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Butylene Glycol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Octyldodeceth-16, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Vitex Agnus Castus Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Squalane, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Polyquaternium-51, Ceramide NP, Gluconolactone, Madecassoside
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
C12-14 Pareth-12 is created from a mixture of synthetic C12-14 alcohols that have about 12 moles of ethylene oxide.
It is an emulsifying and cleansing ingredient. Emulsifier help prevent ingredients from separating, such as oils and waters.
Camellia 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 ExtractDisodium 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 Glycerin