What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf
PerfumingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningResveratrol
AntioxidantUbiquinone
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
AstringentFagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicTocopherol
AntioxidantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientSqualane
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthyl Vanillate
PerfumingSymphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Stearyl Alcohol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Allantoin, Resveratrol, Ubiquinone, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Squalane, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Riboflavin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethyl Vanillate, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture 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.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium 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 HyaluronateStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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