What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Metrosideros Excelsa Bark/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Kaolin, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Metrosideros Excelsa Bark/Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Palau White Clay
HumectantAgathis Australis Resin
Glycerin
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Potassium Palmitate
EmulsifyingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningMicrocitrus Australis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract
HumectantGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Palau White Clay, Agathis Australis Resin, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Potassium Palmitate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Microcitrus Australis Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, 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 JuiceCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateCitric 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
