What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingRetinol
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
AntimicrobialAstaxanthin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Seed Extract
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCollagen
MoisturisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Retinol, Bakuchiol, Astaxanthin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Rosa Canina Seed Extract, Allantoin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Potassium Sorbate, Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingJojoba Esters
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPetrolatum
EmollientSteareth-21
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDistearyldimonium Chloride
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMelatonin
AntioxidantDimethicone
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingAcacia Farnesiana Flower Extract
PerfumingHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantBisabolol
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningStearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Cholesterol
EmollientCeteareth-25
CleansingBehenic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Jojoba Esters, Gluconolactone, Niacinamide, Petrolatum, Steareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melatonin, Dimethicone, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Acacia Farnesiana Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Hydroxyacetophenone, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Cholesterol, Ceteareth-25, Behenic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Potassium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
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 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateParfum 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 “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” 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 ParfumTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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