What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ulmus Fulva Bark Extract
MoisturisingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ulmus Fulva Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Polysorbate 60, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Sulfite, Potassium Sorbate, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
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 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. Itâs full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when itâs 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 doesnât protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Letâs 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).
Itâs also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skinâs 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.
Youâll 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 ExtractCaprylyl 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 GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient is also known as sweet almond oil. It is a lightweight, cold-pressed oil from the ripe seeds of the sweet almond tree.
Sweet almond oil is rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids such as oleic acid (55-86%) and linolenic acid (7-35%).
As an emollient, it softens and hydrates skin by forming a thin barrier that locks in moisture.
Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the available safety data and concluded it is safe for topical use.
Because of the oleic acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilThis 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 Extract
