What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C16 Olefin Sulfonate
EmulsifyingSorbitol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil
Tonic
Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract
AstringentCitrus Junos Fruit Juice
HumectantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthyl Vanillate
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium C16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sorbitol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Panthenol, Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Allantoin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethyl Vanillate, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Salicylic Acid 0.5%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Menthol
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corn Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Salicylic Acid 0.5%, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocoglycerides, Saccharide Isomerate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Zinc Gluconate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Lactate, Hyaluronic Acid, PCA, Menthol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch Octenylsuccinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Myristic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 Water
