What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Silt
AbsorbentCetearyl Olivate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPullulan
Algin
Masking
Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Water, Pentylene Glycol, Silt, Cetearyl Olivate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Panthenol, Cellulose Gum, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, Algin, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl, Glucose, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, 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.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is the filtered, stabilized liquid pressed from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf.
In cosmetics, it shows up as either soothing active or a water-replacement base. It is roughly 98-99% water and the last 1-2% is an interesting mix of polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
The polysaccharides do most of the work: they bind water at the skin surface for a light, non-greasy hydration boost. And one of the polysaccharides, glycomannan, is linked to fibroblast stimulation + collagen synthesis. This is also why aloe has such a long track record in wound and burn healing.
This ingredient is also calming with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity, making it a great pick for sensitive, irritated, or post-sun skin.
Realistic expectations matter though; the solid evidence is mostly limited to hydration, soothing, and wound support. Deeper claims about anti-aging or sun protection are not well backed, and science reviews note it does not prevent radiation-induced skin injury.
Because it plays well with almost everything, it's commonly used as a base alongside other actives like niacinamide or vitamin C.
Typical usage concentrations range from 0.5% (where hydration benefits already show up) all the way to 90%+ (where it replaces water as the main base).
The safety for this ingredient is well-establish as well. Overall, this is a great supporting ingredient for those who want a boost in hydration.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceThis extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit 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
