What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentTaraxacum Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract
AstringentHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Pimpinella Anisum Seed Extract
AstringentCochlearia Armoracia Root Extract
MaskingSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract
EmollientGeranium Maculatum Extract
TonicXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Glycolic Acid, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Pimpinella Anisum Seed Extract, Cochlearia Armoracia Root Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Isohexadecane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
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 ButterCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
