What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-9
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDiospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentPlantago Asiatica Extract
Skin ConditioningUlmus Campestris Bark Extract
AstringentPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBee Venom
AstringentSnail Secretion Filtrate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Panthenol, Betaine, Allantoin, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Ulmus Campestris Bark Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Bee Venom
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantPropanediol
SolventOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentPhyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientAspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrehalose
HumectantTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Phytate
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningUsnea Barbata Extract
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCyclodextrin
AbsorbentAlcohol
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Betaine, Propanediol, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Trehalose, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Cyclodextrin, Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser. On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids If you're prone to flare-ups, you might want to patch-test or skip this one.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateWater. 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