What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cera Alba
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Artemisia Pallens Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingOryza Sativa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningJuniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Algae Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract
Skin ProtectingLonicera Caprifolium Extract
AstringentPopulus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Water, Tocopherol, Cera Alba, Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Artemisia Pallens Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Oryza Sativa Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Retinol, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Panax Ginseng Root
Emollient
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf
Skin Conditioning
Artemisia Annua Extract
MaskingPolygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGinsenosides
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Extensin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin Protecting1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Tranexamic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Panax Ginseng Root, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf, Artemisia Annua Extract, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Ginsenosides, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Ectoin, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Panthenol, Beta-Glucan, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclodextrin, Adenosine
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 ExtractBeta-Glucan is a polysaccharide. It can be derived from the cell walls of seaweed, oats, yeast, and fungi. It hydrates the skin and helps boost your skin's natural barrier.
As an antioxidant, beta-glucan helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Studies show this ingredient may be an effective wrinkle reducer as it can deeply penetrate into skin. It has also been show to help with wound healing.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanGlycerin (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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
