What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialAlanine
MaskingAlcohol
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingCalcium Gluconate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHistidine
HumectantHoney Extract
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Cloprostenate
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientPCA
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingProline
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantSerine
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
HumectantThreonine
Tocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTriethanolamine
BufferingTussilago Farfara Leaf Extract
AstringentValine
MaskingVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantWater, Panthenol, Glycerin, Sodium Citrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Alanine, Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Calcium Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Glycine, Hexylene Glycol, Histidine, Honey Extract, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Isoleucine, Isopropyl Cloprostenate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, PCA, Phenylalanine, Polysorbate 20, Proline, Propylene Glycol, Serine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Threonine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Tussilago Farfara Leaf Extract, Valine, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Metabisulfite
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCannabis Sativa Seed Extract
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPapaver Somniferum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Oligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-9
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-86
Citric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Cannabis Sativa Seed Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Papaver Somniferum Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Sodium Hydroxide, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Benzoic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-9, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-86, Citric Acid
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 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 JuiceCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl 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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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