What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Alcaligenes Polysaccharides
EmollientTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Cobalt Aluminum Oxide
Skin ConditioningIron Oxides
Algin
Masking
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Zea Mays Oil, Alcaligenes Polysaccharides, Titanium Dioxide, Cobalt Aluminum Oxide, Iron Oxides, Algin, Polysorbate 80, BHT
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingSqualane
Emollient
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Bentonite
Absorbent
Isosteareth-20
EmulsifyingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Epilobium Fleischeri Extract
Skin ConditioningNatto Gum
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPrunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract
AstringentCitronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Squalane, Glycine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Glycol Distearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Bentonite, Isosteareth-20, Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Epilobium Fleischeri Extract, Natto Gum, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Prunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract, Citronellol, Geraniol
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 Extract is an extract of the leaves of the aloe, Aloe barbadensis, Liliaceae.
Aloe is one of the most well-known natural soothing ingredients, and for good reason. It’s full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when it’s sunburned, itchy, or irritated. Aloe also helps your skin stay hydrated and smooth by mimicking what healthy skin naturally produces. On top of that, it contains vitamins and nutrients that support skin recovery.Â
It doesn’t protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Let’s get into the details:
Aloe contains antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E, which help fight off free radicals (unstable molecules from things like pollution that can damage your skin).
It’s also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skin’s own moisturizing agents. These, along with other sugars like monosaccharides, help form a protective barrier that locks in moisture.
Aloe works as both a humectant and an emollient. That means it draws water into the skin (humectant) and helps trap it there (emollient), making it an effective natural moisturizer.
You’ll also find a mix of other skin-supporting ingredients in aloe, including folic acid, choline, calcium, amino acids, fatty acids, and even Vitamin B12.
Out of the 420+ species of aloe, Aloe barbadensis is the most widely used in skincare products thanks to its gentle yet effective properties.
There are over 420 species of aloe but Aloe Barbadensis is the most commonly used for topical products.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerChlorella Vulgaris Extract comes from a green microalga. It is hydrating and contains antioxidants.
Studies also show Chlorella Vulgaris may help in rebuilding collagen and elastin. This ingredient is made up of lipids, carbohydrates, and chlorophyll.
Fun fact: This ingredient is commonly used as food additive in Japan.
Learn more about Chlorella Vulgaris ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideThis ingredient comes from the Kudzu root.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
