What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingBetaine
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientArginine
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydroxyacetophenone, Alcohol Denat., Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Betaine, Carbomer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Arginine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingSorbitan Sesquioleate
EmulsifyingMilk Protein Extract
Milk Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract
EmollientSaccharomyces/Viscum Album Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Callus Culture Extract
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientIllicium Verum Fruit Extract
PerfumingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, PEG-40 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Milk Protein Extract, Milk Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album Ferment Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Callus Culture Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
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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. Itâs full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when itâs 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 doesnât protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Letâs 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).
Itâs also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skinâs 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.
Youâll 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 ExtractCarbomer 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 CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinParfum 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 âFRAGRANCEâ or âPARFUMâ 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 ParfumWater. 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