What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCydonia Oblonga Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Extract
Antimicrobial
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cydonia Oblonga Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Citriodora Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAmyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientJuniperus Virginiana Wood Extract
Perfuming
Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Symphytum Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningButter Extract
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract
MaskingCucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningFragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
Emulsifying
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Soybean Peroxidase
Antioxidant
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Glycerin, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sorbitol, Decyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa Extract, Panthenol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Amyl Cinnamal, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Juniperus Virginiana Wood Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Butter Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Leaf/Seed Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Soybean Peroxidase, Superoxide Dismutase, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate
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 JuiceBenzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract comes from the meat of the coconut fruit. It is an emollient and skin conditioner with antioxidant properties.
Coconut fruit is naturally rich in amino acids, sugars, and nutrients including Vitamin C and small amounts of vitamin B. Malic acid can also be found in coconut fruit extract.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimonenePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate is a cleansing ingredient. It is a surfactant, meaning it helps gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants. This helps them be rinsed away easily.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
