What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Citric Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningRhaponticum Carthamoides Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRhodiola Rosea Extract
EmollientSelaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Trehalose
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cocos Nucifera Water, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Rhaponticum Carthamoides Root Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Extract, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Sulfite, Trehalose, Potassium Sorbate, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Maltodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid
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 JuiceCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol 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 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
