What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Coenochloris Signiensis Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Coconut Alcohol
Emollient
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Maltodextrin, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Coco-Glucoside, Coconut Alcohol, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tripeptide-29
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Rubus Fruticosus Leaf Extract
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil
Perfuming
Boswellia Carterii Gum Oil
Perfuming
Michelia Alba Flower Oil
Masking
Michelia Alba Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Styrax Tonkinensis Resin Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Coco-Caprylate, Pisum Sativum Extract, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tripeptide-29, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Rubus Fruticosus Leaf Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil, Boswellia Carterii Gum Oil, Michelia Alba Flower Oil, Michelia Alba Leaf Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Styrax Tonkinensis Resin Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Farnesol, Citral, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate
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 JuiceBenzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidGlycerin (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 StearateMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinSodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based emulsifier. It is made by combining stearic acid with L-glutamic acid and neutralizing it to a sodium salt.
As an emulsifier, it works mainly as an oil-in-water one and helps keep the oil and water in your formulas blended. It also contributes to a smooth, non-greasy skin feel.
This ingredient is biodegradable and commonly available in natural/COSMOS-certified grades.
Learn more about Sodium Stearoyl GlutamateWater. 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
