What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Steareth-21
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingEDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Essence
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Beta-Glucan, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Ceramide EOP, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Panthenol, Ectoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Essence
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
