What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Hydrolyzed Silk
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Stearamide Amp
Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil
Emollient
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Glycol Stearate, Parfum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Hydrolyzed Silk, Citric Acid, Stearamide Amp, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Tocopherol, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethyl Citrate, Benzoic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingDisodium 2-Sulfolaurate
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cocos Nucifera Water, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Persea Gratissima Oil, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lactic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Caramel, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum
Reviews
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 coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChloridePanthenol 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 PanthenolParfum 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 āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā 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
