What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Tromethamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Pvp, Chlorphenesin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Hydroxyacetophenone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract, Sodium Citrate, Parfum, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Gluconolactone, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Calcium Gluconate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Linseed Acid
CleansingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Alcohol Denat., Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Glycerin, Mica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Panthenol, Sorbitol, Linseed Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Limonene, Coumarin, CI 77891, CI 77491
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 JuiceGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateTocopherol 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
