What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Propylene Glycol, Bakuchiol, Potassium Cocoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetamidoethoxyethanol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycerin, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Gluconolactone, PEG-150 Distearate, Propanediol, Glycol Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Zinc PCA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Propylene Glycol, Parfum, Xylitol, Triethylene Glycol, Glucose, Sodium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
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 a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.
The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.
Its headline job is hydration.
The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.
Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.
On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.
There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.
Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.
Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:
- emulsifier
- create a gel-like texture
- boost foam
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 GlycolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium Chloride
