What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Pvp, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arginine, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Dendrobium Nobile Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Pvp, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Silica, Glycerin, Trehalose, Dendrobium Nobile Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol
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 ExtractButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePvp is a water-soluble synthetic polymer and common hairstyling ingredient. It is a film-forming ingredient and used to "hold" specific shapes of hair.
In cosmetics, PVP helps products like sunscreens and color cosmetics last longer and wear more evenly.
It is less effective in high-humidity. It tends to draw moisture, but this moisture dismantles the structure and "hold".
PVP is generally well tolerated on skin and toxicity studies are negative for dermal irritation.
Learn more about PvpWater. 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
