What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Tangerina Peel Extract
AstringentWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Ascorbic Acid, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Citrus Tangerina Peel Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Tricaprylin
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPicea Abies Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Grandis
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Cera
EmollientAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Tricaprylin, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Cetyl Esters, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Picea Abies Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Grandis, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Cera, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
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 JuiceAscorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.
Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:
Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.
One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.
While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.
The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.
Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.
Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.
Learn more about Ascorbic AcidThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
