What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientPunica Granatum Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
AntimicrobialBoswellia Serrata Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientLecithin
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentRosa Damascena Flower
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthyl Vanillate
PerfumingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Squalane, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Panthenol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Zea Mays Starch, Rosa Damascena Flower, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethyl Vanillate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingRosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingRosa Centifolia Flower Extract
AstringentRhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningAronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Extract
AntioxidantRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientPunica Granatum Seed Oil
EmollientGardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientBisabolol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantLecithin
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantIsomalt
HumectantMaltodextrin
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Cetearyl Olivate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Betaine, Sorbitan Olivate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Isomalt, Maltodextrin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Parfum, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol
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 JuiceBiosaccharide Gum-1 is a sugar created by fermenting sorbitol (which usually comes from potato starch!). It is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties.
Manufacturer tests show this ingredient helped reduce irritation from lactic acid by almost half and kept skin hydrated long-term as a humectant
Beyond hydration, Biosaccharide Gum-1 gives formulas a silky, non-sticky feel.
This ingredient is gentle, versatile, and suitable for all skin types.
Fun fact: Similar sugars can be found naturally in fruits like apples and pears.
Learn more about Biosaccharide Gum-1Glycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil is the pressed oil of the Rose Geranium plant. It is volatile, meaning it evaporates off the skin.
Fragrant components of Rose Geranium include citronellol and geraniol. These may cause allergies and skin-sensitivity. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
The scent of Rose Geranium closely resembles traditional roses.
Learn more about Pelargonium Graveolens Flower OilPunica Granatum Seed Oil is created from the seeds of the pomegranate. Pomegranate seed oil helps hydrate the skin, is anti-inflammatory, and contains antioxidants.
Pomegranates are rich in fatty acids, including an unsaturated fatty acid by the name of Punicic acid. Other components of pomegranates include Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and bioactive lipids such as phytosterols, phospholipids, and triterpenes. Punicic acid helps soothe inflammation.
As an emollient, pomegranate oil creates a thin film on the skin. This film helps prevent moisture loss, keeping your skin hydrated.
Learn more about Punica Granatum Seed OilRosehip Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil. Rosehips are a fruit from a rose bush and are edible. This oil has skin conditioning and hydrating properties.
Rosehip contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E, fatty acids and linolenic acids. These nourish your skin barrier. Having hydrated skin may help reduce the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles.
Another great component of Rosehip Oil is Vitamin A, or retinol. Vitamin A encourages your skin to create more collagen.
Rosehip oil may help with reducing pigmentation. The lycopene and beta-carotene have skin-lightening properties. However, more studies are needed to confirm this.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneTocopherol 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