This calming serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Panthenol to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPeat Extract 20%
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPEG-150
HumectantAminobutyric Acid
Rosa Damascena Flower Extract
MaskingAlthaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSpiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningViola Tricolor Extract
EmollientAlchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract
AntioxidantNepeta Cataria Extract
TonicAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingStellaria Media Extract
Skin ConditioningBaptisia Tinctoria Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingAchillea Millefolium Flower Extract
AntioxidantEuphrasia Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialAesculus Hippocastanum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRhodiola Rosea Root Extract
EmollientVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSaccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentTrisodium EDTA
ChelatingParfum
MaskingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Peat Extract 20%, Dipropylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-150, Aminobutyric Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Nepeta Cataria Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Stellaria Media Extract, Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Leaf Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Theobroma Cacao Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Polyacrylate, Trisodium EDTA, Parfum, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantFulvic Acid
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventHypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingSargassum Filipendula Extract
Skin ProtectingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSorbitol
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
MaskingLactose
HumectantGelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningAgastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlycine Soja Sterols
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingSymphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
CleansingSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantCoumarin
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingEugenol
PerfumingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Fulvic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Lactose, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phospholipids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Oil, Milk Protein, Polyglutamic Acid, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Glycolipids, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Sodium Benzoate, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Eugenol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the marigold flower and has been used on skin for centuries for its calming effect.
In the lab, its active compounds appear to calm inflammation and support the early "healing" phase of minor wounds.
This is why Europe's medicines regulator has approved calendula extracts as a traditional remedy for minor skin inflammation and healing small wounds.
The stronger human evidence is around would/ulcer care rather than everyday cosmetic claims; a review that pulled together 14 studies found that calendula helped calm the early, inflamed stage of a wound and helped new skin tissue form faster.
Two studies also showed it shrank leg ulcers (the kind caused by poor circulation). Results were mixed for burns and for the skin irritation people get from radiation treatment, so it's not a sure thing there.
In cosmetics, it's mostly a skin conditioning and soothing agent.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel concluded that calendula-derived ingredients are safe as used and that the ingredients are not irritating, sensitizing, or photosensitizing in clinical tests (though they may be mild eye irritants).
Typical use levels are quite low; industry data reported it used at under 0.5% (one supplier noted a 10-25% extract blend used at 1-10% in the finished product). Historical use goes up to 10%.
The only thing to keep in mind is if you have daisy/ragweed allergies. Calendula is in the same family and one patch-test study found 2% of dermatitis patients reacted to marigold. Be sure to patch test if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseLimonene is the compound that gives citrus peel its smell.
In skincare, it shows up as a standalone fragrance ingredient or as a natural compound of citrus and other essential oils.
You'll typically see this ingredient used in very small amounts; anything above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off has to be named on the label in the EU. The citrus oils that carry it sit around 0.5-1% in a finished formula.
Fresh limonene is a weak allergen; the real issue is that it slowly reacts with air and then breaks down from oxidation to create hydroperoxides (which are strong sensitizers). This is why suppliers are required to keep the peroxide value below 20 mmol.
Positive reactions in people being investigated for eczema vary:
It's worth skipping if you have a known fragrance allergy or a compromised barrier, but the risk is low for most people.
Older or long-opened products are also more likely to bother you than fresh ones due to oxidation.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolPanthenol 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 PanthenolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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