What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingErythritol
Humectant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Oleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Surfactin
CleansingPCA Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate
Moisturising
Dalburgia Sissoo Extract
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Betula Alba Leaf Water
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Erythritol, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Sodium Surfactin, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Lactic Acid, Mentha Piperita Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Dalburgia Sissoo Extract, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil, Betula Alba Leaf Water, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
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 Extract is an extract of the leaves of the aloe, Aloe barbadensis, Liliaceae.
Aloe is one of the most well-known natural soothing ingredients, and for good reason. It’s full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when it’s sunburned, itchy, or irritated. Aloe also helps your skin stay hydrated and smooth by mimicking what healthy skin naturally produces. On top of that, it contains vitamins and nutrients that support skin recovery.Â
It doesn’t protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Let’s get into the details:
Aloe contains antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E, which help fight off free radicals (unstable molecules from things like pollution that can damage your skin).
It’s also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skin’s own moisturizing agents. These, along with other sugars like monosaccharides, help form a protective barrier that locks in moisture.
Aloe works as both a humectant and an emollient. That means it draws water into the skin (humectant) and helps trap it there (emollient), making it an effective natural moisturizer.
You’ll also find a mix of other skin-supporting ingredients in aloe, including folic acid, choline, calcium, amino acids, fatty acids, and even Vitamin B12.
Out of the 420+ species of aloe, Aloe barbadensis is the most widely used in skincare products thanks to its gentle yet effective properties.
There are over 420 species of aloe but Aloe Barbadensis is the most commonly used for topical products.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractSodium Coco-Sulfate (SCS) is an anionic cleanser made by sulfating coconut-derived fatty alcohols and neutralizing them into a sodium salt. It's a strong and bubbly cleanser and closely realted to SLS.
This ingredient works by grabbing onto oil, dirt, and grime so they can be rinsed away. It also helps add foam for a big-lather feel.
Like other members of the alkyl sulfate family, these surfactants can be drying or irritating. This is especially true if your skin barrier is already stressed, the product is very concentrated, or if you leave the ingredient on for too long.
One research paper comparing SCS vs SLS found SCS may score a bit more on the "milder" side for irritation measures, but it still interacts strongly with skin lipids which can cause barrier disruption.
SCS tends to be the best in rinse-off products.
Learn more about Sodium Coco-SulfateSodium levulinate is the a sodium salt of Levulinic Acid. Oncedissolved in an aqueous solution, the two ingredients become identical. It is usually derived from renewable plant sources like corn starch or sugarcane.
In skincare, it mostly acts as a skin conditioning agent that keeps skin soft and hydrated. It also acts as a preservative booster by inhibiting the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria.
It's often paired with Sodium Anisate as the two create a broad-spectrum preservative system that is popular in "natural" formulations.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be non-irritated and there are no restrictions for use in EU cosmetics. The FDA also allows this ingredient to be used as a food-grade flavoring agent.
Learn more about Sodium LevulinateWater. 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
