What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecyl PCA
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sclerotium Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Octyldodecyl PCA, Squalane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes, Sorbitan Isostearate, Medicago Sativa Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Quercetin, Gluconolactone, Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Zea Mays Oil, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Beta-Carotene, Citric Acid, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Astringent
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Glucosamine Hcl
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Oryza Sativa Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glucosamine Hcl, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Carbomer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Tocopherol, Maltodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid
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 JuiceCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCitric 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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 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.
Sodium 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 HydroxideTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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
