What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycereth-26
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract
AstringentCereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHovenia Dulcis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Hovenia Dulcis Fruit Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Phospholipids, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene, CI 14700, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingRosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Pleiogynium Timoriense Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPodocarpus Elatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSantalum Acuminatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Vanillin
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Pleiogynium Timoriense Fruit Extract, Podocarpus Elatus Fruit Extract, Santalum Acuminatum Fruit Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Vanillin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool
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 JuiceCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopherol 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
