What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Flower
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Fruit Butter
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Althaea Officinalis Flower Extract
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Helianthus Annuus Flower, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Panthenol, Persea Gratissima Fruit Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTripeptide-29
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Tea-Stearate
CleansingSucrose Stearate
EmollientRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Carbomer, Tripeptide-29, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Tea-Stearate, Sucrose Stearate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
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 JuiceCeramide 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 NPEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
