What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Emulsifying Wax Nf
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tuber Magnatum Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialParfum
Masking
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tuber Magnatum Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Parfum, P-Anisic Acid
Vitis Vinifera
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tilia Cordata Extract
RefreshingCoenochloris Signiensis Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Leaf Oil
Masking
Olibanum
MaskingCommiphora Myrrha Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbitan Stearate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Tilia Cordata Extract, Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Cananga Odorata Leaf Oil, Olibanum, Commiphora Myrrha Oil
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 JuiceThis 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 ButterGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil is the oil extracted from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. This oil is non-fragrant and is an emollient. As an emollient, meadowfoam seed oil helps soften and hydrate the skin.
Meadowfoam seed oil is stable and has a long shelf life due to its chemical structure. It has the highest concentration of stable fatty-acids among plant oils, preventing it from degrading once exposed to oxygen.
Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Meadowfoam is native to California and Oregon.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilOenothera Biennis Oil is the fixed oil derived from the seeds of the Evening Primrose.
Evening primrose oil is rich in fatty acids. These fatty acids include linoleic (60-85%), oleic (5-12%), palmitic (4-10%), and stearic (2-4%).
The fatty acid composition makes it a great ingredient for soothing and moisturizing skin. However, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal acne safe.
Further research is needed on the role of evening primrose in treating eczema.
Evening primrose is native to North America.
Learn more about Oenothera Biennis OilSodium 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 BenzoateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about Tocopherol
