Name: Firming Toner
Brand: Apotheke

What's inside

Ingredients Explained

Water

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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!

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Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Masking, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Rosa Damascena Flower Water is the water-based byproduct of steam-distilling damask rose petals. It has skin conditioning, masking, and skin protecting properties.

Research shows that Rosa damascena is rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds like gallic acid that contribute to its antioxidant activity.

In vitro studies have shown that Rosa damascena can scavenge free radicals and reduce melanin overproduction. Research has also found this extract offers some degree of UV absorption but this should not replace your sunscreen.

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Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Astringent, Skin Conditioning, Soothing

Hamamelis Virginiana Water is made by distilling parts of the witch hazel plant. You can also call this ingredient "witch hazel water".

The name 'Hamamelis Virginiana Water' refers to the distillation product used in cosmetics. On the other hand, 'Witch Hazel' refers to the active drug ingredient.

Unless it is specified to be non-alcohol, many types of witch hazel ingredients are distilled in denatured alcohol.

Witch Hazel water is an astringent, anti-inflammatory antioxidant, and antibacterial ingredient.

It contains tannins. Tannins have a drying effect when used on skin by constricting proteins. The constriction also minimizes the appearance of pores.

Both the tannins and fragrance found in witch hazel may be skin-sensitizing.

Witch hazel water gets anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties from its catechin and gallic acid content.

Indigenous groups have used witch hazel to help treat inflammation in North America for centuries.

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Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.

The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.

Its headline job is hydration.

The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.

Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.

On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.

There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.

Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.

Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.

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Hypericum Perforatum Extract

Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking

We don't have a description for Hypericum Perforatum Extract yet.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water

Masking, Perfuming, Tonic

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water is also known as green tea hydrosol. It is the water leftover from steeping or steam-distilling tea.

It's mostly in cosmetics to lend a light tea scent and gentle refreshing feel (tonic) rather than acting as an active.

Unlike the extract, this ingredient only carries trace amounts of catechins, amino acids, and caffeine that makes tea leaf extract famous.

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Leucine

Skin Conditioning

Leucine is a small amino acid and one of the building blocks your body uses to make proteins.

It's also naturally found in your skin as part of your Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). Your NMF is a mix of water-binding molecules that keeps the outer skin layer hydrated and flexible.

In skincare, it's mainly used as a skin conditioning ingredient that helps reinforce the same moisture-retention function.

You'll usually see it used at low percentages (generally under 5%) which is in line with how amino acids are used in cosmetics.

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