What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Urtica Dioica Extract
AstringentCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantOlus Oil
Emollient
Almondeth-20
EmulsifyingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Urtica Dioica Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Olus Oil, Almondeth-20, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Oryza Sativa
Milk
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingUlmus Fulva Bark Extract
MoisturisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Diethyl Phthalate
Masking
Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa, Milk, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ceteareth-20, Ulmus Fulva Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Diethyl Phthalate
Reviews
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 JuiceBehentrimonium Methosulfate is a gentle, positively-charged conditioning agent made from rapeseed oil.
It's the opposite of a harsh cleansing sulfate despite having "sulfate" in its name; its a detangler/softener in haircare and helps keep oil/water blended into a creamy texture as an emulsifier.
Concentration-wise, safety review reports the wider trimonium family shows up between 0.0005% to 10% in rinse-off products and 0.001% to 4% in leave-on products.
This ingredient is commonly used at ~1–5% when acting as the emulsifier.
Allergies to this ingredient are rare; the CIR panel noted the literature lacks clinical reports of irritation or sensitization and patch tests on finished products containing it came back clean.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateCetearyl 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 AlcoholPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolRosa Canina Fruit Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil that has earned its skincare reputation through chemistry.
It's dominated by fatty acids like linoleic acid (~35-55%), alpha-linolenic acid (~17-27%), and oleic acid (~14-22%). This is the exact profile that supports skin barrier, locks in hydration, and calms inflammation.
A 2024 review found evidence for the Rosa canina species supports its use for scarring, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and atopic dermatitis; this was mostly credited to its vitamin C content and fatty acid composition as the primary active mechanisms.
You might see this ingredient marketed as a "natural retinol". Some rosehip seed oils contains traces of all-trans-retinoic acid but these trace amounts are far below biologically active levels.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has deemed this ingredient safe and it's well-tolerated.
Fungal acne: The fatty acids of this oil fall into the C11-24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilWater. 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
