What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Cetyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Pantothenic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Steareth-21
Cleansing4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEDTA
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gluconolactone, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Hydroxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polysorbate 60, Steareth-21, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan Gum, EDTA, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 ExtractCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
