What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientLactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientOryza Sativa Germ Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientSqualane
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantBHT
AntioxidantPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTromethamine
BufferingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholesterol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingCyclohexane
SolventAcrylic Acid
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Oryza Sativa Germ Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Squalane, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Polyglutamic Acid, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide NP, Phenoxyethanol, Tromethamine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide EOP, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Cyclohexane, Acrylic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEthyl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningArbutin
AntioxidantPolyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientLaureth-7
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingCeteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73015
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Ethyl Macadamiate, Arbutin, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 73015
Reviews
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 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 GlycolCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl 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 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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