What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearate
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Saccharina Longicruris Extract
HumectantMaranta Arundinacea Root Powder
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol, Water, Sodium Stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Parfum, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Saccharina Longicruris Extract, Maranta Arundinacea Root Powder, Zea Mays Starch, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
PCA
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Cocamide Mipa, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Polyquaternium-7, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Niacinamide, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, PCA, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
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 JuiceGlycerin (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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.
Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.
This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Learn more about Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment FiltrateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
