What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-10
Polyquaternium-81
CleansingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Caffeine, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-81, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Carrageenan
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Mentha Piperita Oil, Citric Acid, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Citrate, Triethyl Citrate, Carrageenan, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid, Linalool, Limonene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
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 Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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
