What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningRhus Verniciflua Peel Wax
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
EmollientEuphorbia Cerifera Wax
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantPolyhydroxystearic Acid
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantRicinus Communis Seed Oil, Zea Mays Starch, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Lauroyl Lysine, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Tocopherol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 15850, CI 19140, CI 45410
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingPolyhydroxystearic Acid
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientTriisostearyl Citrate
EmollientMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingJojoba Esters
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Extract
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingAcacia Decurrens Flower Wax
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantPolyglycerin-3
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45380
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Polyisobutene, Zea Mays Starch, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Diisostearyl Malate, Triisostearyl Citrate, Microcrystalline Wax, Jojoba Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Persea Gratissima Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Polyglycerin-3, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 15850, CI 45380, CI 73360, CI 77891
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 ExtractThis 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 ButterCi 15850 is the pigment color red. It is an azo dye and created synthetically.
Azo dyes need to be thoroughly purified before use. This allows them to be more stable and longer-lasting.
This ingredient is common in foundations, lipsticks, and blushes. This color is described as brown/orangey red.
It has many secondary names such as Red 6 and Red 7. According to a manufacturer, Red 6 usually contains aluminum.
Learn more about CI 15850Ci 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created Ci 77491 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77491CI 77492 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a yellow hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created CI 77492 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77492Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Polyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractTocopherol 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 TocopherolZea Mays Starch is starch made from corn. You might know this as cornstarch . It is used to thicken a product. It can replace talc as an absorbent.
The pH of cornstarch is 5.92.
Cornstarch is a common food ingredient used to thicken soups or to make corn syrup.
Learn more about Zea Mays Starch