What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycolic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Carbomer, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene
Sucrose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Shell Powder
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15510
Cosmetic ColorantSucrose, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Silica, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Cocos Nucifera Shell Powder, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Water, Parfum, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, CI 14700, CI 15510
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 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 JuiceCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil is oil from the peel of an orange fruit.
Limonene and linalool make up the majority of oils from citrus peels. Limonene has a "citrus" fragrance. Citrus peels also contain flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
Citrus peel is also a rich source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are natural antioxidants and help protect your skin against damage. Flavonoids are a group of compounds naturally found in vegetables and fruits.
The term '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.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel OilThis ingredient is also known as grapefruit peel oil. It is mainly used as a fragrance/perfuming ingredient and is made up of about 99-92% limonene.
Though in vitro or food science has shown this oil to be antibacterial, possess antioxidant activity, and be anti-inflammatory, there's very little research testing it directly on human skin or in cosmetics.
Limonene is a known skin sensitizer. Because grapefruit peel oil can contain furanocoumarins, this ingredient can also cause phototoxicity. It is possible to created furanocoumarin-free versions that are not phototoxic; it is best to reach out to the brand if you have questions about this ingredient in your cosmetics.
Learn more about Citrus Paradisi Peel OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
