What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientSodium Coco-Sulfate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningMaris Sal
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
CleansingSodium Coco-Sulfate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantLauryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Oil
MaskingRosa Damascena Flower Extract
MaskingAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate
EmollientSqualene
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
EmollientLecithin
EmollientLysolecithin
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerin, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Sitosterol, Coco-Caprylate, Squalene, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Lysolecithin, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Tocopherol, Parfum, Citronellol, Geraniol
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 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 ExtractCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-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 GlycerinSodium 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-SulfateWater. 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