Follow us on our new Insta page »
SU:M37 Refreshing Toner

Refreshing Toner

It is a moist, hydrating soothing toner that soothes the skin and helps prepare it for hydration.
Uploaded by: ridaz on

Ingredients overview

Purified Water, Alcohol Denat, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycerin, Panthenol, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Xanthan Gum, Malachite Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Inonotus Obliquus (Mushroom) Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lactobacillus/​Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate, Yeast Extract, Bambusa Arundinacea Juice, Lactobacillus/​Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/​Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Wine Extract, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Lactobacillus/​Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/​Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/​Water Hyacinth Ferment, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Saccharomyces/​Grape Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/​Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/​Xylinum/​Black Tea Ferment, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract, Akebia Quinata Extract, Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract, Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Geranium Robertianum Extract, Glechoma Hederacea Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Melissa Officinalis Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/​Leaf/​Stem Extract, Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract, Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Plantago Major Seed Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract, Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Lactobacillus/​Rye Flour Ferment, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trisodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool

Highlights

Key Ingredients

Antioxidant: Malachite Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Wine Extract, Monascus/​Rice Ferment, Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract, Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Lactobacillus/​Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil

Skim through

Ingredient name what-it-does irr., com. ID-Rating
Purified Water solvent
Alcohol Denat antimicrobial/​antibacterial, solvent, viscosity controlling icky
Dipropylene Glycol solvent
1,2-Hexanediol solvent
Methyl Gluceth-20 moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Glycerin skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 superstar
Panthenol soothing, moisturizer/​humectant 0, 0 goodie
Glycosyl Trehalose
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate moisturizer/​humectant
Butylene Glycol moisturizer/​humectant, solvent 0, 1
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Xanthan Gum viscosity controlling
Malachite Extract antioxidant
Spiraea Ulmaria Extract soothing goodie
Grifola Frondosa Fruiting Body Extract emollient
Biosaccharide Gum-1 soothing, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Portulaca Oleracea Extract soothing, antioxidant goodie
Inonotus Obliquus (Mushroom) Extract
Tricholoma Matsutake Extract
Yeast Ferment Extract
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract exfoliant goodie
Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract
Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract antioxidant goodie
Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Extract emollient
Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative
Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Lactobacillus/Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Ferment Filtrate
Yeast Extract moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Bambusa Arundinacea Juice abrasive/​scrub
Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract
Wine Extract antioxidant
Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Lactobacillus/Water Hyacinth Ferment
Monascus/Rice Ferment antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract
Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate moisturizer/​humectant
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Acer Palmatum Leaf Extract antioxidant
Acorus Calamus Root Extract perfuming
Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Akebia Quinata Extract
Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract antimicrobial/​antibacterial
Allium Sativum (Garlic) Bulb Extract
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Brassica Rapa (Turnip) Leaf Extract
Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract
Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Flower Extract
Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract soothing, antioxidant, moisturizer/​humectant goodie
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract skin brightening, antioxidant
Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract
Crataegus Cuneata Fruit Extract
Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract soothing, emollient goodie
Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming goodie
Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract antioxidant, emollient goodie
Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Equisetum Arvense Extract soothing, emollient
Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract
Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Geranium Robertianum Extract
Glechoma Hederacea Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract soothing, skin brightening superstar
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract
Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract perfuming
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract antioxidant
Melissa Officinalis Extract
Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract perfuming
Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract
Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract
Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract
Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract antioxidant, emollient, moisturizer/​humectant
Plantago Major Seed Extract
Platycodon Grandiflorus Root Extract antioxidant
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract
Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract moisturizer/​humectant
Prunus Salicina Fruit Extract antioxidant
Malus Domestica Fruit Extract antioxidant
Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/​antibacterial goodie
Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract surfactant/​cleansing
Sasa Veitchii Leaf Extract
Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract
Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract soothing
Spinacia Oleracea (Spinach) Leaf Extract
Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract
Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract
Trichosanthes Kirilowii Root Extract
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract soothing, antioxidant 0, 0 goodie
Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract
Houttuynia Cordata Extract antioxidant, soothing goodie
Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emulsifying, surfactant/​cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer viscosity controlling
Trisodium EDTA chelating
Tromethamine buffering
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil antioxidant, antimicrobial/​antibacterial icky
Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil surfactant/​cleansing, perfuming icky
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil perfuming icky
Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil perfuming icky
Citral perfuming icky
Citronellol perfuming icky
Limonene perfuming, solvent icky
Geraniol perfuming icky
Linalool perfuming icky

SU:M37 Refreshing Toner
Ingredients explained

Also-called: Aqua;Water | What-it-does: solvent

Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. 

It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water. 

  • It's a super common and super debated skincare ingredient
  • It has several benefits: great solvent, penetration enhancer, creates cosmetically elegant, light formulas, great astringent and antimicrobial
  • It can be very drying if it's in the first few ingredients on an ingredient list
  • Some experts even think that regular exposure to alcohol damages skin barrier and causes inflammation though it's a debated opinion (read more in geeky details tab)
Read all the geeky details about Alcohol Denat. here >>

What-it-does: solvent

A clear, colorless liquid that works as a solvent and viscosity decreasing ingredient. It also has great skin-moisturizing abilities. 

What-it-does: solvent

A really multi-functional helper ingredient that can do several things in a skincare product: it can bring a soft and pleasant feel to the formula, it can act as a humectant and emollient, it can be a solvent for some other ingredients (for example it can help to stabilize perfumes in watery products) and it can also help to disperse pigments more evenly in makeup products. And that is still not all: it can also boost the antimicrobial activity of preservatives

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

A corn sugar derived, water-soluble, pale yellow syrup, that nicely moisturizes the skin. It has a light and smooth skin feel, it is non-tacky, and it can improve the after-feel of the formula. It is also mild and gentle, popular in sensitive skin formulas.

Glycerin - superstar
Also-called: Glycerol | What-it-does: skin-identical ingredient, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0
  • A natural moisturizer that’s also in our skin
  • A super common, safe, effective and cheap molecule used for more than 50 years
  • Not only a simple moisturizer but knows much more: keeps the skin lipids between our skin cells in a healthy (liquid crystal) state, protects against irritation, helps to restore barrier
  • Effective from as low as 3% with even more benefits for dry skin at higher concentrations up to 20-40%
  • High-glycerin moisturizers are awesome for treating severely dry skin
Read all the geeky details about Glycerin here >>

Panthenol - goodie
Also-called: Pro-Vitamin B5 | What-it-does: soothing, moisturizer/humectant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. As you might guess from the “pro” part, it’s a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid). 

Its main job in skincare products is to moisturise the skin. It’s a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. There is also research showing that panthenol can help our skin to produce more lovely lipids that are important for a strong and healthy skin barrier. 

What-it-does: emulsion stabilising

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant, solvent | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 1

Butylene glycol, or let’s just call it BG, is a multi-tasking colorless, syrupy liquid. It’s a great pick for creating a nice feeling product.  

BG’s main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin (penetration enhancer), making the product spread nicely over the skin (slip agent), and attracting water (humectant) into the skin.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

It's one of the most commonly used thickeners and emulsion stabilizers. If the product is too runny, a little xanthan gum will make it more gel-like. Used alone, it can make the formula sticky and it is a good team player so it is usually combined with other thickeners and so-called rheology modifiers (helper ingredients that adjust the flow and thus the feel of the formula). The typical use level of Xantha Gum is below 1%, it is usually in the 0.1-0.5% range. 

Btw, Xanthan gum is all natural, a chain of sugar molecules (polysaccharide) produced from individual sugar molecules (glucose and sucrose) via fermentation. It’s approved by Ecocert and also used in the food industry (E415). 

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Meadowsweet Extract, Filipendula Ulmaria Extract | What-it-does: soothing, astringent

The extract coming from the leaves and/or blossoms of Meadowsweet, a native to Europe plant that likes to grow in damp places such as meadows or the banks of streams.

It's main "skincare thing" is that it contains salicylic acid derivatives that give the extract anti-inflammatory properties. It also has tannins that make Spiraea Ulmaria Extract astringent, as well as spiraeoside that has anti-cellulitic properties.

What-it-does: emollient

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Biosaccharide Gum-1 is a pretty interesting kind of sugar ingredient that is created from sorbitol via bacterial fermentation. 

According to the manufacturer it’s a “S.M.A.R.T.” sugar: it has Soothing, Moisturizing, Anti-aging, Restructuring and Touch properties. Let’s look at them quickly one by one.

Also-called: Purslane Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant

Portulaca Oleracea is a nice succulent with bright yellow flowers and edible nutritious vegetables. It's a famous plant in Korean traditional medicine to treat infection and irritated skin.

Modern research confirms that it's loaded with skin-goodies: it's the richest green plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid), contains NMFs (polysaccharides and amino acids),  vitamins (β-carotene), minerals, and antioxidants (yellow betaxanthins and reddish betacyanins). Thanks to all its beneficial components, Purslane Extract has several magic properties: it's a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent and also has wound healing abilities

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Pomegranate Enzyme | What-it-does: exfoliant

It's the fancy name for pomegranate enzyme that's obtained by fermenting the pomegranate fruit with Lactobacil­lus lactis. The fermentation process makes the desired phytochemicals readily available and selective filtration techniques are used to isolate the  proteolytic frac­tions.

The end result is the enzyme that increases cell renewal and can be an alternative to acid exfoliation (though it is not as effective as glycolic acid even according to the manufacturer's measurements not to speak about the other benefits of glycolic acid). 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Watermelon Fruit Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant

We love a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer day and we love watermelon as a skincare ingredient. It's really full of good-for-the-skin stuff: it contains a bunch of vitamins (A, B, C and E), mineral salts (K, Mg, Ca and Fe), amino acids citrulline and arginine and antioxidant carotenoids and phenolics

It's especially rich in potent antioxidant, lycopene (a type of carotenoid), the cool pigment that's responsible for the red color of the watermelon. According to manufacturer info, in-vitro (made in the lab not on real people) studies show that watermelon extract gives significant DNA protection against UV damage. The in-vivo (made on real people) study also confirmed this and the watermelon formula showed 25% increase in skin protection compared to placebo.

Also-called: Papaya Fruit Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Lemon Peel Extract | What-it-does: emollient

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: preservative, deodorant

If you have spotted ethylhexylglycerin on the ingredient list, most probably you will see there also the current IT-preservative, phenoxyethanol. They are good friends because ethylhexylglycerin can boost the effectiveness of phenoxyethanol (and other preservatives) and as an added bonus it feels nice on the skin too.

Also, it's an effective deodorant and a medium spreading emollient

Also-called: Japanese Honeysuckle Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

Lonicera Japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle as normal people call it, is a white-flowered honeysuckle known for being a traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research confirms that the plant has a super complex chemical composition with more than 140 compounds identified with possible anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities.

As for Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract in skin care, it can have two main roles. The first one is being an anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredient, probably due to chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol thought to be the main bioactive component of the flower.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Yeast Extract - goodie
What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

You probably know yeast from the kitchen where you put it into milk with a little sugar and then after a couple of minutes brownish bubbles form. That is the fungi fermenting the sugar

As for skin care, yeast contains beta-glucan that is a great soothing ingredient and also a mild antioxidant.  The yeast extract itself is a silky clear liquid that has some great moisturizing, skin protecting and film-forming properties on the skin. 

What-it-does: abrasive/scrub

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Red Clover Extract | What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: NG Kombuchka

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Onion Bulb Extract | What-it-does: antimicrobial/antibacterial

You probably meet this guy more often in your kitchen than in the bathroom, but yes, onion extract is also used as a skincare ingredient. Its major skin benefit seems to be that it can improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars (there is also a scar-fading gel called Mederma, that has hardly anything else in it but onion extract). 

We also saw some manufacturer claims that onion is not only a scar healer, but it has also antibacterial and antifungal activity, it can help to reduce acne and stimulate hair growth

Also-called: Garlic Bulb Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Beet Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, moisturizer/humectant

Beetroot is a beautifully colored vegetable that you probably know from the kitchen. As for skincare - according to manufacturer info - it works as a natural moisturizer that might be able to increase the concentration of NMFs (natural moisturizing factors) in the upper layer of the skin giving skin both immediate and longer term hydration. 

According to Paula's Choice, it's also a colorant and a source of antioxidants

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Gotu Kola, Tiger Grass | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant, moisturizer/humectant

Centella Asiatica - or sometimes also called Gotu Kola or Cica - has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It’s traditionally used to improve small wounds, burns and scratches and it’s also a well known anti-inflammatory agent for eczema.

Recently science has taken an interest in Gotu Kola as well and it turns out it really has many active compounds with several benefits. Just for hard-core geeks, the main biologically active compounds are pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins called asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic and madecassic acid (also called centellosides).

Also-called: Satsuma Mandarin, Satsuma Orange | What-it-does: skin brightening, antioxidant

Out of the more than 900 Citrus species known today, Citrus Unshiu is a seedless, easy to peel tangerine coming from the Japanese town Satsuma. The peel extract used in cosmetics is mainly created from the "press-cake", the by-product of the juice industry and as it turns out, what's waste to one industry is a useful ingredient to another. 

In cosmetics, the main thing of the Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract is being a skin-brightening or whitening agent. In-vitro (made in test tubes) and animal studies both show promising results for inhibiting tyrosinase, the famous enzyme regulating melanin production. It also contains antioxidant components such as carotenoids, coumarins,  limonoids, and flavonoids that might be useful for the skin to protect itself from UV caused damages. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Cucumber Fruit Extract | What-it-does: soothing, emollient

Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract that’s known for it’s soothing and emollient properties. It’s not something new to put it on our face: even Cleopatra used it to “preserve her skin”.

It’s commonly believed that cucumber is the answer to puffy eyes, but there is no research confirming this. What research does confirm is that it contains amino acids and organic acids that’s helpful for the skin’s acid mantle. There is also an enzyme (called shikimate dehydrigenase) in the pulp that’s shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Also-called: Turmeric Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, skin brightening, perfuming

Turmeric is the yellow spice you probably know from curry and Indian food. It's also a traditional herbal medicine used in Ayurveda for its bunch of anti-something magic abilities including being anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic. 

As for turmeric and skincare, we have good news: studies show that the root extract and its main biologically active component, curcumin can do multiple good things for the skin. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, it shows some promise for acne-prone skin and a small study from 2013 showed that it might be able to regulate sebum production

Also-called: Carrot Root Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, emollient

The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. (Not to be confused with carrot seed oil, that can be fixed or essential and comes from the seeds.)

The root extract is known for containing the orange pigment beta-carotene, aka provitamin A. It is a famous molecule for being a potent antioxidant, suntan accelerator and having skin-regenerative abilities. Carrot oil also contains vitamin E and some fatty acids that give the oil further antioxidant and barrier repairing properties. 

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Horsetail Extract | What-it-does: soothing, emollient, astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Licorice Root;Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract | What-it-does: soothing, skin brightening

You might know licorice as a sweet treat from your childhood, but it's actually a legume that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, central and southern Russia. It's sweet and yellow and not only used for licorice all sorts but it's also a skincare superstar thanks to two magic properties:

Nr. 1 magic property is that it has skin-lightening or to say it another way depigmenting properties. The most active part is called glabridin. The topical application (meaning when you put it on your face) of 0.5% glabridin was shown to inhibit UVB caused pigmentation of guinea pigs. Another study even suggested that licorice is more effective than the gold standard skin-lightening agent hydroquinone. All in all, licorice is considered to be one of the safest skin lightening agents with the fewest side effects.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Shiitake Mushroom Extract

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: astringent, perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: moisturizer/humectant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Japanese Plum Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Rosemary Leaf Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, antimicrobial/antibacterial

The extract coming from the lovely herb, rosemary. It contains lots of chemicals, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and diterpenes. Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. 

The leaves contain a small amount of essential oil (1-2%) with fragrant components, so if you are allergic to fragrance, it might be better to avoid it. 

Also-called: Raspberry Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing, astringent

Raspberry is one of the colorful berries that’s not only delicious but contains many biologically active, healthy compounds. It has polyphenols including anthocyanins and ellagitannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

According to skin care expert Paula Begoun, it’s antibacterial as well but due to its tannin content it can cause also irritation to the very sensitive skinned. 

Also-called: Sage Leaf Extract | What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: soothing

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Dandelion Leaf Extract

The extract coming from the leaves of dandelion. It's a folkloric medicine for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders and we could find several studies confirming its liver-protecting, "detoxifying" effect.

What we could not find is information on what dandelion is doing in cosmetic products. Our best info is that it "enhances the clarity of skin" by helping the detoxification of the liver (though we have to admit we are a bit sceptical about this).  

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Ginger Root Extract | What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

The extract coming from ginger, the lovely spice that we all know from the kitchen. It is also a medicinal plant used both in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for pretty much everything you can imagine (muscular pain, sore throat, nausea, fever or cramps,  just to give a few examples).

As for ginger and skincare, the root extract contains the biologically active component called gingerol that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Combined with Bisabololthe duo works synergistically to sooth the skin and take down redness. 

Also-called: German Chamomile Flower Extract | What-it-does: soothing, antioxidant | Irritancy: 0 | Comedogenicity: 0

Chamomile probably needs no introduction as it's one of the most widely used medicinal herbs. You probably drink it regularly as a nice, calming cup of tea and it's also a regular on skincare ingredient lists.

Cosmetic companies use it mainly for its anti-inflammatory properties. It contains the terpenoids chamazulene and bisabolol both of which show great anti-inflammatory action in animal studies. On top of that chamomile also has some antioxidant activity (thanks to some other active ingredients called matricine, apigenin and luteolin).  

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant, soothing

Houttuynia cordata is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia. It is eaten as a leaf vegetable, and also has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, including as an attempted treatment for SARS (it didn’t really work). Regarding cosmetics, however, houttuynia cordata extract has a good bit of potential! 

The main active components in the plant are these fancy chemicals called flavonoids. Houttuynia cordata specifically has a good amount of polyphenolic flavonoids, four common ones being quercetin, quercitrin, hyperoside, and rutin. All of these exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Quercitrin has also been shown to decrease damage from UVB rays, which is an added bonus. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the flavonoid content of this extract can depend on if the extract is taken from the roots or the leaves, as well as if it’s a water extraction or an alcohol extraction.

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

What-it-does: antioxidant

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid with fatty odor, made from Castor Oil and polyethylene glycol (PEG).

If it were a person, we’d say, it’s agile, diligent & multifunctional. It’s mostly used as an emulsifier and surfactant but most often it is used to solubilize fragrances into water-based formulas.

Though its long name does not reveal it, this polymer molecule (big molecule from repeated subunits or monomers) is a relative to the super common, water-loving thickener, Carbomer. Both of them are big molecules that contain acrylic acid units, but Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer also contains some other monomers that are hydrophobic, i.e. water-hating. 

This means that our molecule is part water- and part oil-loving, so it not only works as a thickener but also as an emulsion stabilizer. It is very common in gel-type formulas that also contain an oil-phase as well as in cleansers as it also works with most cleansing agents (unlike a lot of other thickeners). 

What-it-does: chelating

A common helper ingredient that works as a so-called chelating agent.  It helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes.

What-it-does: buffering

It's a little helper ingredient that helps to set the pH of the products to be right. It has an alkaline pH and can neutralize acidic ingredients.

Also-called: Rosemary Leaf Oil | What-it-does: antioxidant, antimicrobial/antibacterial

The essential oil coming from the leafs of the lovely herb, rosemary. It contains several fragrant components, including the well-known irritant, camphor (around 15%). It has a nice smell, is a potent antioxidant and it's also an antimicrobial agent.

If your skin is sensitive, it's probably a good idea to avoid it.

Also-called: Lime Oil | What-it-does: surfactant/cleansing, perfuming

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Bergamot Fruit Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%). 

A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic compounds called furanocoumarins, but more and more commonly furanocoumarin-free versions are used in cosmetic products. Still, if you have sensitive skin and prefer fragrance-free products, bergamot oil is not for you.

Also-called: Sandalwood Oil

We don't have description for this ingredient yet.

Also-called: Rose Geranium Flower Essential Oil | What-it-does: perfuming

The fragrant essential oil coming from the flowers of Rose Geranium. Like most essential oils, it contains antioxidant and antimicrobial components, but the main ones are fragrant constituents (like citronellol and geraniol). Be careful with it, if your skin is sensitive. 

Citral - icky
What-it-does: perfuming

It’s a common fragrance ingredient that smells like lemon and has a bittersweet taste.  It can be found in many plant oils, e.g. lemon, orange, lime or lemongrass. 

It’s one of the “EU 26 fragrances” that has to be labelled separately (and cannot be simply included in the term “fragrance/perfume” on the label) because of allergen potential. Best to avoid if your skin is sensitive.

What-it-does: perfuming

Citronellol is a very common fragrance ingredient with a nice rose-like odor. In the UK, it’s actually the third most often listed perfume on the ingredient lists. 

It can be naturally found in geranium oil (about 30%) or rose oil (about 25%). 

Limonene - icky
What-it-does: perfuming, solvent, deodorant

A super common and cheap fragrance ingredient. It's in many plants, e.g. rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and it's the main component (about 50-90%) of the peel oil of citrus fruits.

It does smell nice but the problem is that it oxidizes on air exposure and the resulting stuff is not good for the skin. Oxidized limonene can cause allergic contact dermatitis and counts as a frequent skin sensitizer

Geraniol - icky
What-it-does: perfuming

Geraniol is a common fragrance ingredient. It smells like rose and can be found in rose oil or in small quantities in geranium, lemon and many other essential oils. 

Just like other similar fragrance ingredients (like linalool and limonene) geraniol also oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. Best to avoid if you have sensitive skin.

Linalool - icky
What-it-does: perfuming, deodorant

Linalool is a super common fragrance ingredient. It’s kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. It’s part of 200 natural oils including lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, jasmine, geranium and it can be found in 90-95% of prestige perfumes on the market. 

The problem with linalool is, that just like limonene it oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. That’s why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one.

You may also want to take a look at...

what‑it‑does solvent
Normal (well kind of - it's purified and deionized) water. Usually the main solvent in cosmetic products. [more]
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial | solvent | viscosity controlling
Alcohol with some additives to make it unconsumable. It is great solvent, penetration enhancer, creates cosmetically elegant, light formulas, great astringent, and antimicrobial. In large amounts, it can be very drying to the skin. [more]
what‑it‑does solvent
A clear, colorless liquid that works as a solvent and viscosity decreasing ingredient. It also has great skin-moisturizing abilities.  [more]
what‑it‑does solvent
A multi-functional helper ingredient that acts as a humectant and emollient. It's also a solvent and can boost the effectiveness of preservatives. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
A corn sugar-derived, water-soluble, pale yellow syrup, that nicely moisturizes the skin. It has a light and smooth skin feel. [more]
what‑it‑does skin-identical ingredient | moisturizer/humectant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
A real oldie but a goodie. Great natural moisturizer and skin-identical ingredient that plays an important role in skin hydration and general skin health. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | moisturizer/humectant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant | solvent
irritancy, com. 0, 1
An often used glycol that works as a solvent, humectant, penetration enhancer and also gives a good slip to the products. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A super commonly used thickener and emulsion stabilizer. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does soothing
The extract of Meadowsweet that has anti-inflammatory, astringent and anti-cellulitic properties. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
what‑it‑does soothing | moisturizer/humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1 is a pretty interesting kind of sugar ingredient that is created from sorbitol via bacterial fermentation.  According to the manufacturer it’s a “S.M.A.R.T.” sugar: [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant
Purslane Extract - a traditional Korean medicinal plant with skin-soothing, antioxidant and wound healing abilities. [more]
what‑it‑does exfoliant
Pomegranate Enzyme that is obtained by fermenting the pomegranate fruit. It can increase cell renewal and can be a (less effective) alternative to acid exfoliation. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
Watermelon extract that's full of good-for-the-skin stuff, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. A useful antioxidant-rich ingredient to protect skin from UV-induced damage. [more]
what‑it‑does emollient
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does preservative
It can boost the effectiveness of phenoxyethanol (and other preservatives) and as an added bonus it feels nice on the skin too. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Lonicera Japonica, or Japanese Honeysuckle as normal people call it, is a white-flowered honeysuckle known for being a traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research confirms that the plant has a super complex chemical composition with more than 140 compounds identified with possible anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities. [more]
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
A silky clear liquid that has great moisturizing, skin protecting and film-forming properties on the skin. [more]
what‑it‑does abrasive/scrub
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antimicrobial/antibacterial
You probably meet this guy more often in your kitchen than in the bathroom, but yes, onion extract is also used as a skincare ingredient. Its major skin benefit seems to be that it can improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars (there is also a scar-fading gel called Mederma, that has hardly anything else in it but onion extract). [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant
Beetroot is a natural moisturizer, colorant, and antioxidant. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant | moisturizer/humectant
Centella Asiatica - or sometimes also called Gotu Kola or Cica - has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years. It’s traditionally used to improve small wounds, burns and scratches and it’s also a well known anti-inflammatory agent for eczema. Recently science has taken an interest in Gotu Kola as well and it turns out it really has many active compounds with several benefits. [more]
what‑it‑does skin brightening | antioxidant
Out of the more than 900 Citrus species known today, Citrus Unshiu is a seedless, easy to peel tangerine coming from the Japanese town Satsuma. The peel extract used in cosmetics is mainly created from the "press-cake", the by-product of the juice industry and as it turns out, what's waste to one industry is a useful ingredient to another. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
Cucumber is a nice, non-irritating plant extract that’s known for it’s soothing and emollient properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | skin brightening | perfuming
Turmeric Root Extract that has nice anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin-brightening properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient
The oil-soluble extract coming from the edible, orange part of the carrot. It is created by macerating the carrot root in a carrier oil such as sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting thing (base oil + carrot root extract) is often called carrot oil or carrot root oil. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | emollient
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does soothing | skin brightening
You might know licorice as a sweet treat from your childhood, but it's actually a legume that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, central and southern Russia. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does perfuming
what‑it‑does antioxidant | emollient | moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does moisturizer/humectant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing | antimicrobial/antibacterial
Rosemary leaf extract - Its main active is rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It has also anti-bacterial, astringent and toning properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Raspberry is one of the colorful berries that’s not only delicious but contains many biologically active, healthy compounds. It has polyphenols including anthocyanins and ellagitannins that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to skin care expert Paula Begoun, it’s antibacterial as well but due to its tannin content it can cause also irritation to the very s [more]
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing
what‑it‑does soothing
Dandelion Extract - a folkloric medicine for the treatment of liver and kidney disorders. It's unclear what it does in a cosmetic product. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
Ginger extract that has antioxidant and soothing properties. It is also known to increase blood circulation and thus have a toning effect. [more]
what‑it‑does soothing | antioxidant
irritancy, com. 0, 0
Chamomile extract - has great anti-inflammatory and some antioxidant properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant | soothing
A flavonoid-rich plant extract known mainly for its soothing and antioxidant properties. [more]
what‑it‑does antioxidant
what‑it‑does emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid that works as an emulsifier and surfactant. [more]
what‑it‑does viscosity controlling
A common helper ingredient that stabilizes emulsions and helps to thicken up products. [more]
what‑it‑does chelating
A common helper ingredient that works as a so-called chelating agent.  It helps products to remain nice and stable for a longer time by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (that usually get into there from water) that would otherwise cause some not so nice changes. [more]
what‑it‑does buffering
It's a little helper ingredient that helps to set the pH of the products to be right. It has an alkaline pH and can neutralize acidic ingredients.
what‑it‑does antioxidant | antimicrobial/antibacterial
The essential oil coming from the leafs of rosemary. It has a nice smell, is a potent antioxidant and it's also an antimicrobial agent. Contains several fragrant components, including potential skin irritant, camphor (around 15%).
what‑it‑does surfactant/cleansing | perfuming
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the fruit (probably the rind) of the bergamot orange.  It's a common top note in perfumes and contains (among others) fragrant compounds limonene (37%), linalyl acetate (30%) and linalool (8.8%).  A well-known issue with bergamot oil (apart from the fragrance allergens) is that it contains phototoxic  [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
The essential oil coming from the flowers of Rose Geranium. Like most essential oils, it contains antioxidant and antimicrobial components, but the main ones are fragrant constituents. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
A common fragrance ingredient that smells like lemon. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
A common fragrance ingredient with a nice rose-like smell. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming | solvent
A super common fragrance ingredient found naturally in many plants including citrus peel oils, rosemary or lavender. It autoxidizes on air exposure and counts as a common skin sensitizer. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
A common fragrance ingredient that smells like rose and can be found in rose oil. [more]
what‑it‑does perfuming
A super common fragrance ingredient that can be found among others in lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot or jasmine. The downside of it is that it oxidises on air exposure and might become allergenic. [more]