What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Algae Extract
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Alum
AstringentZinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Creatine
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingDiglycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Disodium 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 Alum, 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
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylpropanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panthenol, Sodium Polyacrylate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
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 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 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-GlucanThis 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 IsoparaffinLaureth-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.
Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
Learn more about MethylpropanediolPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polyglutamic Acid is made up many glutamic acids chained together. It is created from bacterial fermentation.
This ingredient is an effective skin hydrator and may help speed up wound healing. As a humectant, it draws and holds water to the skin. This ingredient is often compared to hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Similarly to hyaluronic acid, it can vary in molecular weights. This means polyglutamic acid is capable of bringing hydration to lower levels of the skin.
Fun fact: Polyglutamic Acid is found in the Japanese food, natto. It is also being used in cancer treatment studies.
Learn more about Polyglutamic AcidSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Water. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
