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 ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAlgae Extract
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientCreatine
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientLaureth-7
EmulsifyingDiglycerin
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Dna
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Water, Butylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Methylpropanediol, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Squalane, Creatine, Sodium Polyacrylate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Diglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dna, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA
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 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-GlucanButylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is also known as "C13-14 Isoalkane".
C13-14 Isoparaffin is created from petroleum-based mineral oils. It is an emollient and helps thicken a product.
As an emollient, it helps keep the skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in, keeping the skin hydrated.
C13-14 Isoparaffin may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about C13-14 IsoparaffinCeramide 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 GlycerinLaureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.
This ingredient is an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient. As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent ingredients from separating. It also helps cleanse the skin by gathering dirt, oil, and pollutants to be rinsed away.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium DNA is an emerging anti-aging ingredient.
It is created by taking deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and purifying it with sodium hydroxide.
The DNA is extracted from several different animal sources, including: calf thymus, the gonadic tissue of a male sturgeon, or herring / salmon sperm.
You have probably seen this ingredient in anti-aging skincare. But what is it?
DNA is composed of nucleotides, or chemical building blocks. Nucleotides include adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Talk about a flashback to biology! Nucleosides are formed from these nucleotides.
The science behind Sodium DNA is based on an ingredient called Polydeoxyribonucleotide or PDRN.
PDRN are DNA fragments mainly extracted from the sperm cells of trout or salmon. Meaning, PDRN can be derived from Sodium DNA.
PDRN consists of chains of nucleotides and nucleosides mentioned above. They can range anywhere from 80 - 2000 pairs.
Studies show PDRN has the following properties:
Most of the research on PDRN has been done using injectable forms. That’s important, because PDRN is a large molecule and doesn’t absorb well through the skin. So if you’re applying it topically, the effects are likely to be much milder.
Still, topical Sodium DNA is emerging as a trendy anti-aging ingredient. It’s generally well-tolerated and offers good biocompatibility with human skin, making it a low-risk addition to most routines.
Further studies are needed to truly confirm this ingredients anti-aging ability (Remember, retinol has decades of research!).
Sodium DNA may be sourced from fish, animal tissue, or plants. Since this isn’t always disclosed, we recommend asking the brand directly if the ingredient’s origin is important to you.
Learn more about Sodium DnaWater. 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