What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Trehalose
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningMel Extract
MoisturisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Bioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
Cleansing
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate
SolventPolyglyceryl-6 Caprylate/Caprate
StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-30 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Trehalose, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Oleanolic Acid, Mel Extract, Panthenol, Sulfur, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Bioflavonoids, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hcl, Allantoin, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, PEG-30 Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicJuniperus Communis Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Achillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Citric Acid, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Copper Gluconate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAloe 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 JuiceCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidCocamidopropyl 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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPeg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is created from polyethylene glycol and fatty acids from coconut oil.
It is a synthetic polymer with emulsifying and cleansing properties.
As an emulsifier, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate prevents ingredients such as oils and water from separating. It also helps rinse away oils, dirt, and pollutants from skin.
Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate may not be fungal acne safe. It can also dry out skin.
Learn more about PEG-7 Glyceryl CocoatePhenoxyethanol 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
