What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPropanediol
SolventAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCocos Nucifera Water
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSqualane
EmollientRose Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
MaskingBisabolol
AntioxidantCymbopogon Martini Herb Extract
PerfumingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
EmollientPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Rose Extract, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Bisabolol, Cymbopogon Martini Herb Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Citronellol, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Laureth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningSea Water Extract
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
MaskingCrocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCurculigo Orchioides Root Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingAcetyl Hexapeptide-49
Skin ConditioningMarrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ProtectingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSea Whip Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCucumis Sativus Fruit
Skin ConditioningVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract
CleansingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polysilicone-11, Laureth-12, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Sea Water Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Curculigo Orchioides Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-49, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Xanthan Gum, Sea Whip Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cucumis Sativus Fruit, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA
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 JuiceCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideGlycerin (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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract comes from the vanilla orchid native to central America. It is a skin-soothing ingredient.
This ingredient is skin-soothing and contains polyphenols that give it antioxidant properties.
This ingredient is not known to sensitize or irritate skin (unlike Vanilla Tahitensis). Vanilla tahitensis has shown to irritate skin in low amounts.
Learn more about Vanilla Planifolia Fruit ExtractWater. 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