What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acer Saccharum Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Allantoin PCA
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Urea
Buffering
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantArginine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Hexyl Nicotinate
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Dextrin
AbsorbentPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Proline, Sodium Allantoin PCA, Sodium PCA, Lysine Hcl, Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Threonine, Urea, Glycine, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Phytate, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate, Arginine, Serine, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Tocopherol, Dextrin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, 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 JuiceEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.
It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.
Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.
AHAs work by breaking down the structural “glue” that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.
Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.
Overall, glycolic acid helps with:
Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.
To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (that’s where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).
The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:
It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.
Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.
If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.
Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But don’t skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.
Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless you’re highly sensitive, it’s well worth adding to your routine.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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!
Learn more about Water
