What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingLauroyl Methyl Glucamide
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeGlycerin
HumectantArtemisia Capillaris Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientPropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
AntioxidantScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingCI 42053
Cosmetic ColorantAcid Green 1
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Lauroyl Methyl Glucamide, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, CI 42053, Acid Green 1
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol
AntimicrobialCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialSalicylic Acid
MaskingRheum Palmatum Root Extract
AstringentAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHoney
HumectantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propanediol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Alcohol, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Chlorphenesin, Salicylic Acid, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Allantoin, Honey, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Parfum, Citric Acid
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 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 ExtractCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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