What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantSalicylic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Disodium EDTA
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Salicylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Sodium Citrate, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Propylene Carbonate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Amylopectin
Dextrin
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Preservative
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Salicylic Acid, Acer Saccharum Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Amylopectin, Dextrin, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Polyglutamic 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 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 JuiceButylene 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 GlycolGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract comes from the witch hazel plant.
Witch Hazel is an astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial ingredient.
The tannin in witch hazel has a drying effect when used on skin and constricts proteins. This helps minimize the look of large pores. The presence of tannins and fragrance may be sensitizing.
The catechins in witch hazel have anti-inflammatory properties while the gallic acid is antibacterial.
Indigenous groups have used witch hazel to help treat inflammation, which was then used by early settlers to North America.
Learn more about Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf ExtractMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract comes from the Tea Tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, Myrtaceae. This tea tree is native to Australia.
Tea Leaf extract contains antimicrobial and anti-acne properties.
This ingredient has perfuming properties and contains linalool and limonene. These fragrance and terpinen components can cause skin sensitivity.
Learn more about the benefits of Tea Tree Oil here.
Learn more about Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf ExtractPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSalicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.
Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, itβs still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidWater. 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
