What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventErythrulose
TanningAphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract
HumectantUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningDurvillaea Potatorum Extract
HumectantSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingGlycerin
Humectant
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Dihydroxyacetone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Erythrulose, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Durvillaea Potatorum Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Glycerin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningDihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Erythrulose
TanningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Methyl Ionones
MaskingWater, Dihydroxyacetone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 20, Erythrulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Maltodextrin, Alcohol, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Methyl Ionones
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 is the filtered, stabilized liquid pressed from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf.
In cosmetics, it shows up as either soothing active or a water-replacement base. It is roughly 98-99% water and the last 1-2% is an interesting mix of polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
The polysaccharides do most of the work: they bind water at the skin surface for a light, non-greasy hydration boost. And one of the polysaccharides, glycomannan, is linked to fibroblast stimulation + collagen synthesis. This is also why aloe has such a long track record in wound and burn healing.
This ingredient is also calming with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity, making it a great pick for sensitive, irritated, or post-sun skin.
Realistic expectations matter though; the solid evidence is mostly limited to hydration, soothing, and wound support. Deeper claims about anti-aging or sun protection are not well backed, and science reviews note it does not prevent radiation-induced skin injury.
Because it plays well with almost everything, it's commonly used as a base alongside other actives like niacinamide or vitamin C.
Typical usage concentrations range from 0.5% (where hydration benefits already show up) all the way to 90%+ (where it replaces water as the main base).
The safety for this ingredient is well-establish as well. Overall, this is a great supporting ingredient for those who want a boost in hydration.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceDihydroxyacetone, or DHA, is the active ingredient in self-tanners.
It's a simply sugar that reacts with the free amino acids in your outermost layer of skin to produce brown-colored compounds called melanoidins.
DHA does not penetrate living skin cells, does not interact with melanocytes, and does not affect actualy melanin production.
There's a "safety controversy" that largely stems from misinterpreted studies:
Once concern is that DHA can generate unstable molecules that can damage cells (free radicals) when exposed to sunlight. This only happens in the outermost layer of dead skin cells and wearing SPF on top takes care of it.
The DNA damage claim comes from lab studies that doused living skin cells in much higher concentrations of DHA than you'd ever find in a self-tanner. That's not really a meaningful comparison to putting self-tanning lotion on your skin.
Regulatory bodies around the world, including the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and the U.S. FDA consider it safe for use in cosmetics when applied topically (maximum 10%, and most self-tanners contain between 3-5%).
Learn more about DihydroxyacetoneDimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula.
Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed.
It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself).
Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideWe don't have a description for Erythrulose yet.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolThis ingredient is also called sugarcane extract. It is a moisturizing humectant and has skin soothing properties.
Similar to hyaluronic acid, sugarcane can attract moisture to your skin.
Glycolic acid is a derivative of sugarcane. While glycolic acid is an AHA with exfoliating properties, sugarcane is not an AHA.
A study from 2021 found the compounds in sugarcane extract to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. The study also suggests these compounds can inhibit skin ageing enzymes and promote collagen synthesis.
Learn more about Saccharum Officinarum ExtractWater. 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
