What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSteareth-21
CleansingJojoba Esters
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Whey Protein
Skin ConditioningJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSodium PCA
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMethylparaben
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
EDTA
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Water, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Steareth-21, Jojoba Esters, Petrolatum, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salicylic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Ubiquinone, Whey Protein, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Bisabolol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Phytosterols, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Lactate, Methyl Gluceth-20, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium PCA, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Squalene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Methylparaben, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol, EDTA, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Potassium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 60
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Diisooctyl Succinate
Emollient
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Piperonyl Glucoside
Skin ProtectingGlycerin
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Carnitine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract
Emulsion StabilisingGeranium Maculatum Extract
TonicEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin Conditioning
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningPropolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
Abrasive
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Diisooctyl Succinate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Propanediol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Piperonyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Lecithin, Caffeine, Palmitoyl Carnitine, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Propolis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citric Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower 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 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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
