What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingSalvia Sclarea Extract
AntiseborrhoeicVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientSorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Jojoba Esters, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Tocopherol, Diheptyl Succinate, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Triethyl Citrate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glycine Soja Oil, Ethyl Macadamiate, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Cellulose Gum, Tocopherol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
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 JuiceThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterGlycerin (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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilThis ingredient is created by cleaving jojoba oil to remove all fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and wax esters.
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters has emollient, stabilizing, and hair-conditioning properties.
Potassium 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 SorbateTocopherol 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 TocopherolXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
