What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Dodecane
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ribose
HumectantSodium Acetate
BufferingBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Cellulose
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Azelaic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Kojic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylresorcinol, Ethyl Linoleate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Dodecane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Squalane, Bisabolol, Glyceryl Laurate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Allantoin, Ribose, Sodium Acetate, Bakuchiol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cellulose, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseKojic Acid is a naturally occurring organic acid that is produced during the fermentation of certain fungi. It is one of the most well-studied brightening ingredients (tyrosinase inhibitors) out there.
That's why you'll see Kojic Acid in products that target dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and general uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with other brightening actives like Alpha Arbutin, Glycolic Acid, and Vitamin C derivatives.
By latching onto the copper that the enzyme tyrosinase needs to function, Kojic Acid prevents less pigment from being made. It's so well-established that researchers regularly use it as the go-to benchmark when testing new brightening ingredients.
Some other perks include documented antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) Expert Panel concluded Kojic Acid is safe for use in cosmetic products at concentrations up to 1% and the EU's SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) considers it safe as a skin lightening agent at concentrations up to 0.7%.
One thing to know about Kojic Acid is that stability is its weak spot; it is sensitive to light, heat, and air exposure and will oxidize/turn brown in formulations. Its derivative, Kojic Dipalmitate, was developed as a stable alternative.
Some individuals have reported contact sensitization so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or sensitive skin.
Fun fact: It was first discovered in 1907 and naturally occurs in the production of sake, soy sauce, and miso.
Learn more about Kojic AcidPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
