What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pentasodium Pentetate
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Bioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Citrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientCitrus Nobilis Peel Extract
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Extract
Perfuming
Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningPlantago Major Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycosyl Trehalose, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Bicarbonate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Propanediol, Pentasodium Pentetate, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Bioflavonoids, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Extract, Citrus Paradisi Peel Extract, Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract, Plantago Major Seed Extract, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Kaolin
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Propanediol
Solvent
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate
EmollientBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Quartz
Abrasive
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Kaolin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, PEG-100 Stearate, Propanediol, Coconut Acid, Butylene Glycol, Charcoal Powder, Sodium Astrocaryum Murumuruate, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Bioflavonoids, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Myristic Acid, Quartz, Stearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Citral, Limonene, CI 77891
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. It’s full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when it’s 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 doesn’t protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Let’s 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).
It’s also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skin’s 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.
You’ll 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 ExtractBioflavonoids are secondary metabolites found in plants. They contain antioxidants.
Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Foods containing high amounts of bioflavonoids include celery, peppers, berries, grapes, citrus fruits, cocoa, and more.
Learn more about BioflavonoidsYou might know Brassica Oleracea Italica as Broccoli. Broccoli is rich in antioxidants.
Broccoli extract is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. These unstable molecules may damage your skin cells. By helping to stabilize them, antioxidants may help with anti-aging. Beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C are three types of antioxidants found in broccoli.
Broccoli is also rich in fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids.
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract can be extracted from any part of the broccoli plant.
Learn more about Brassica Oleracea Italica ExtractButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitrus Grandis Peel Oil is an essential oil that is derived from the peel of a Grapefruit. It is composed largely of limonene, which is a fragrance that can cause irritation for sensitive skin.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
