What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Princeps Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Zea Mays Kernel Extract
Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Acetate
Skin ConditioningEthanolamine
BufferingCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Artemisia Princeps Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Acetate, Ethanolamine, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Mentha Arvensis Extract
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cymbopogon Citratus Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Erythritol
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Polyglycerin-3, Tromethamine, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Mentha Arvensis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus Extract, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Erythritol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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
