What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium PCA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Gluconate, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cellulose Gum
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Plantago Asiatica Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin Protecting
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Ulmus Campestris Bark Extract
AstringentAlthaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Bee Venom
Astringent
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningUsnea Barbata Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Ulmus Campestris Bark Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Panthenol, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Bee Venom, Polysorbate 20, Lecithin, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
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 ExtractBeta-Glucan is a polysaccharide. It can be derived from the cell walls of seaweed, oats, yeast, and fungi. It hydrates the skin and helps boost your skin's natural barrier.
As an antioxidant, beta-glucan helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Studies show this ingredient may be an effective wrinkle reducer as it can deeply penetrate into skin. It has also been show to help with wound healing.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanBetaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water is also known as green tea hydrosol. It is the water leftover from steeping or steam-distilling tea.
It's mostly in cosmetics to lend a light tea scent and gentle refreshing feel (tonic) rather than acting as an active.
Unlike the extract, this ingredient only carries trace amounts of catechins, amino acids, and caffeine that makes tea leaf extract famous.
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf WaterGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
