What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingXylitol
HumectantRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHoney Extract
HumectantDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Water, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Xylitol, Royal Jelly Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Honey Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hyaluronate, Limonene, Linalool
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice 80%
Skin ConditioningPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientBetaine
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningPsidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPerilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
TonicAcorus Calamus Root Extract
PerfumingCitrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice 80%, Propolis Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Betaine, Water, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Allantoin, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 ExtractButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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