What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientPropanediol
SolventHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Ceramide Ng
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingArginine
MaskingHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentAcanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPolyquaternium-7
Polyquaternium-10
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativePentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Ceramide Ng, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Biotin, Polyquaternium-7, Polyquaternium-10, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Citric Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientPropanediol
SolventHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativeOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin ProtectingMentha Arvensis Callus Lysate
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingSqualane
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingRedensyl
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Polyquaternium-10, Potassium Sorbate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Mentha Arvensis Callus Lysate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Redensyl, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
Alternatives
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 Juice is the filtered, stabilized liquid pressed from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf.
In cosmetics, it shows up as either soothing active or a water-replacement base. It is roughly 98-99% water and the last 1-2% is an interesting mix of polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
The polysaccharides do most of the work: they bind water at the skin surface for a light, non-greasy hydration boost. And one of the polysaccharides, glycomannan, is linked to fibroblast stimulation + collagen synthesis. This is also why aloe has such a long track record in wound and burn healing.
This ingredient is also calming with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity, making it a great pick for sensitive, irritated, or post-sun skin.
Realistic expectations matter though; the solid evidence is mostly limited to hydration, soothing, and wound support. Deeper claims about anti-aging or sun protection are not well backed, and science reviews note it does not prevent radiation-induced skin injury.
Because it plays well with almost everything, it's commonly used as a base alongside other actives like niacinamide or vitamin C.
Typical usage concentrations range from 0.5% (where hydration benefits already show up) all the way to 90%+ (where it replaces water as the main base).
The safety for this ingredient is well-establish as well. Overall, this is a great supporting ingredient for those who want a boost in hydration.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 BetaineCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideDecyl Glucoside is a plant-derived surfactant and emulsion stabilizer. It is created by reacting glucose with the fatty acids from plants.
Like all surfactants, it works by lowering the surface tension between water and oil. This makes it so that dirt, sebum, and makeup can be lifted off your skin and rinsed away. It also produces a dense and creamy foam.
Because it has a neutral charge, it is compatible with a wide range of ingredients and stays stable across a broad pH range/water hardiness conditions.
Patch testing has shown it to have the lowest irritation potential among common cleansing surfactants (like SLS).
Typical use levels range from 5-20% in rinse-off cleansers.
One thing worth knowing: The American Contact Dermatitis Society named the parent family, alkyl glucosides, "Allergen of the Year" in 2017. The prevalence of allergy is pretty low but be sure to patch test if you've reacted to "gentle" or sulfate-free cleansers before.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because the fatty alcohol portion of this ingredient is not within the C11-24 chain length that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Decyl GlucosideWe don't have a description for Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract yet.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlyceryl Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters (HJE) are an emollient and skin-conditioning agent made by breaking down jojoba oil into a blend of fatty acids and fatty alcohols.
Jojoba is pretty cool because it's a liquid wax ester rather than a triglyceride like most plant oils. Its structure closely resembles the wax esters in human sebum so it slots nicely into the skin's own lipid layer.
In cosmetics, HJE works mainly to soften skin, reinforce the barrier, and lock in moisture by reducing water loss. This ingredient also holds onto the skin even after rinsing which is why you'll see it in cleansers or wipes.
There's a decent clinical backing for the moisturizing claims: a small controlled study found that pairing HJE with glycerin lowered transepidermal water loss significantly than glycerin alone (and this effect lasted up to 24 hours).
Follow-up work showed HJE appear to "trap" glycerin in the film they form on skin to boost its hydrating power.
Typical use levels are low: the glycering-synergy research used around 1.25% (a common pairing is roughly 1.25% HJE and 3.75% glycerin).
This ingredient has been found safe as used in cosmetics with low irritation risk.
As for fungal acne, the fatty acids and alcohols in jojoba fall in roughly the C18-24 range. This overlaps the C11-24 window that Malassezia yeast can feed on in lab studies, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Jojoba EstersWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Quinoa yet.
This ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPolyquaternium-10 is an ammonium salt of hydroxyethylcellulose. It is a white and granular powder used as a film-former and anti-static agent.
This ingredient is commonly found in hair conditioning products. According to a manufacturer, its positive charge makes it great for absorbing hair proteins. The manufacturer also states this ingredient helps with curl retention.
For haircare friends: this ingredient is not a silicone.
Learn more about Polyquaternium-10Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate is a gentle, coconut-derived cleansing surfactant. It's most commonly found in "sulfate-free" cleansers.
As a taurate, it belongs to a class of anionic surfactants prized for being efficient at cleansing without harshness, good performance in hard water, stability across a wide pH range, and easily biodegradable.
It is able to lift away oil and grime and make a nice lather without stripping your skin, so it's a good pick for sensitive skin.
Safety-wise, it has a good record. The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and concentrations go up to 11% in leave-on products or 13% in rinse-off products.
Despite being derived from coconut oil, this ingredient is fungal acne safe. It's a water-soluble surfactant with no fatty oils or esters left intact on skin for the Malassezia yeast to feed.
Learn more about Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate