What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantSqualane
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
EmollientVegetable Oil
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylamide
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Vegetable Oil, Polyacrylamide, Carbomer, Laureth-7, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingAleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantCetyl Palmitate
EmollientSorbitan Palmitate
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingCitral
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingFarnesol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycerin, Water, Cetearyl Olivate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Citric Acid, Citral, Geraniol, Farnesol, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene
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 JuiceCitric 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 GlycerinPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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