What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Antioxidant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose Cocoate, Parfum, Carbomer, PEG-4 Laurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientIsostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingMethylparaben
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Propylparaben
Preservative
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Sucrose Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
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 Extract is an extract of the leaves of the aloe, Aloe barbadensis, Liliaceae.
Aloe is one of the most well-known natural soothing ingredients, and for good reason. It’s full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when it’s sunburned, itchy, or irritated. Aloe also helps your skin stay hydrated and smooth by mimicking what healthy skin naturally produces. On top of that, it contains vitamins and nutrients that support skin recovery.Â
It doesn’t protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Let’s get into the details:
Aloe contains antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E, which help fight off free radicals (unstable molecules from things like pollution that can damage your skin).
It’s also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skin’s own moisturizing agents. These, along with other sugars like monosaccharides, help form a protective barrier that locks in moisture.
Aloe works as both a humectant and an emollient. That means it draws water into the skin (humectant) and helps trap it there (emollient), making it an effective natural moisturizer.
You’ll also find a mix of other skin-supporting ingredients in aloe, including folic acid, choline, calcium, amino acids, fatty acids, and even Vitamin B12.
Out of the 420+ species of aloe, Aloe barbadensis is the most widely used in skincare products thanks to its gentle yet effective properties.
There are over 420 species of aloe but Aloe Barbadensis is the most commonly used for topical products.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractCetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
This extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractCyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.
D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.
It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.
Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoateIsostearyl Palmitate isn't fungal acne safe.
This ingredient is derived from caprylic and capric acids. It is an emulsifier with emollient properties.
According to the manufacturer, it is hydrophilic and soluble in aqueous solutions (water). They also state this ingredient is stable in a medium pH range (~5 - 8).
As an emulsifier, it helps make oils and oil-soluble ingredients more soluble in water.
Learn more about PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric GlyceridesPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is an emollient that helps make your skin smooth and hydrated. It specializes in creating a non-oily and "wet" feeling on skin.
This ingredient comes from isostearic acid, a saturated fatty acid. It is a synthetic ingredient.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSucrose Cocoate is created from the sucrose esters of coconut acid. Coconut acid is comprised of the fatty acids of coconut oil.
It is an emulsifier and skin conditioner.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sucrose CocoateWater. 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
