What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Dibutyl Adipate

Emollient

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Ethylhexyl Triazone

UV Absorber
UV Protection IconChemical UV Filter Icon

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Silicon Icon

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

UV Filter
Chemical UV Filter Icon

Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol

UV Filter
Chemical UV Filter Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Drometrizole Trisiloxane

UV Absorber
Silicon IconUV Protection IconChemical UV Filter Icon

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Emollient
Coconut Derived Icon

Caprylyl Methicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning
Good for Barrier Repair Icon

Behenyl Alcohol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate

Emulsion Stabilising

Vp/Eicosene Copolymer

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Decyl Glucoside

Cleansing
Coconut Derived Icon

Tromethamine

Buffering

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Cleansing

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Emulsion Stabilising

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation Icon

Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Skin Protecting
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

T-Butyl Alcohol

Perfuming
Alcohol IconFragrance IconCan worsen Dry Skin Icon

Inositol

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Glyceryl Glucoside

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Saccharide Isomerate

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Dipropylene Glycol

Humectant

Salicornia Herbacea Extract

Skin Conditioning

Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract

Emollient

Bambusa Vulgaris Water

Skin Conditioning

Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract

Humectant

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Angelica Keiskei Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract

Astringent

Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide

Emulsion Stabilising
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Mentha Aquatica Extract

Tonic

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Sodium Citrate

Buffering

Reviews

4.20
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Light 60% Great Value 60% Works Well 60%
3.00
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Oily 67% Light Scent 67% Great Value 33%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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. 

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 Extract
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene 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 Glycol

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UV-A absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm).

DHHB is well-liked for:

DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%. Unfortunately, it has not been approved for use in the US or Canada due to slow regulatory processes.

This ingredient is soluble in oils, fats, and lipids.

Learn more about Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin 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 Ethylhexylglycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium 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 Hyaluronate
Perfuming, Solvent

T-Butyl Alcohol (aka tert-butanol) is a small, clear, camphor-smelling alcohol.

It has two main jobs:

On the safety side, it's well-studied and has a solid track record. Human repeat-insult patch testing showed no skin irritation or sensitization even at 100%.

Typical use levels are pretty tiny, usually less than 1%.

You might see some fear-mongering around this ingredient:

Studies in male rats showed kidney effects but that's because of a rat-specific protein that humans don't make. So this study isn't really relevant to humans.

Though it's not a typical fragrance like parfum, it does have a natural scent. That's why the official COSIng database lists it as 'perfuming' ingredient. It can be used to modify the scent of a formula.

Learn more about T-Butyl Alcohol
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan 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

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