What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylamide
Glycerin
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningKojic Acid
AntioxidantC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCholesterol
EmollientAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantSodium Dna
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
AntimicrobialDeoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea
Skin ConditioningLaureth-7
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylamide, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, Kojic Acid, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Alpha-Arbutin, Sodium Dna, Bakuchiol, Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea, Laureth-7, Ceramide NP
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantWater, Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Biosaccharide Gum-1
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 ExtractArtemisia Vulgaris Extract is more commonly known as the common mugwort. It has strong antioxidant properties and helps soothe irritation.
Antioxidants protect skin from damage and the signs of aging.
This plant contains the compounds saponins, glycosides, flavanoids, protein, triterpenoids.
The common wugwort has been used in traditional Indian, Chinese, and European medicines to treat gastrointestinal diseases.
Learn more about Artemisia Vulgaris ExtractCentella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
Studies show the compounds in centella help with:
The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.
Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica ExtractCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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