What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantDendrobium Nobile Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cistus Monspeliensis Extract
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dicaprylyl Ether, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Trehalose, Sodium Polyaspartate, Dendrobium Nobile Stem Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Citric Acid, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Panthenol, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Ectoin, Maltodextrin, Saccharide Isomerate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Cistus Monspeliensis Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Sodium Citrate
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.
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 preservatives
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 ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
