What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Prunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Octyldodecanol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Panthenol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propylene Glycol, Silica, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Jojoba Esters, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic Colorant2,3-Butanediol
HumectantGlyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Mica, 2,3-Butanediol, Glyceryl Isostearate, Maltodextrin, Silica, Salicylic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic 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.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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
