What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 72.21%
Emollient
Artemisia Annua Extract 15%
MaskingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract 5%
Abrasive
Glycerin 5%
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Lilium Tigrinum Extract
Skin ConditioningHelichrysum Arenarium Extract 0.1%
AntiseborrhoeicScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Lactobacillus 0.03%
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningIpomoea Batatas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAniba Rosodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Geranium Maculatum Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 72.21%, Artemisia Annua Extract 15%, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract 5%, Glycerin 5%, Gluconolactone, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Helichrysum Arenarium Extract 0.1%, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Lactobacillus 0.03%, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 73.7%
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Extract 5%
Absorbent
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil 1%
Masking
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract 0.1%
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Aloe Barbadensis Ferment Filtrate 0.1%
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract 0.5%
Antimicrobial
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter 0.5%
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus 0.1%
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract 73.7%, Myristic Acid, Oryza Sativa Extract 5%, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Decyl Glucoside, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil 1%, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract 0.1%, Lactobacillus/Aloe Barbadensis Ferment Filtrate 0.1%, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract 0.5%, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter 0.5%, Lactobacillus 0.1%, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Linalool
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. It’s full of water and has a cooling, calming effect on the skin, especially when it’s 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 doesn’t protect you from the sun, but it can help your skin bounce back after too much time in it.
Let’s 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).
It’s also rich in polysaccharides, which are natural sugars that help hydrate the skin by acting like the skin’s 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.
You’ll 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 ExtractCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
The term '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.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractLactobacillus is the INCI name for the live, whole lactic bacteria culture itself and is classified as a skin conditioning agent.
It is the same genus of probiotic that you can find in yogurt or fermented foods and it shows up at low levels naturally on human skin.
This ingredient is more of a microbiome agent rather than an active; it helps rebalance the skin's microbial community.
The bacteria and their metabolites produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds that crowd out the "bad bacteria". Research on Lactobacillus strains shows activity against pathogens and acne-causing bacteria.
One strain, Lactobacillus plantarum, has also been shown to boost collagen synthesis and lower melanin synthesis in lab and clinical observation.
The most eye-catching data comes from acne research, a topical cream with live lactobacilli was well-tolerated and improved skin hydration by 37.3% after 14 days of use and 45.6% after 28 days.
Sources for this ingredient are usually fermented substrates like dairy, soy, or rice.
In general, this is a low-irritation and well-tolerated ingredient that plays nice with most of your routine.
One thing to keep in mind is that live bacteria are hard to keep alive inside of a skincare product. They struggle to survive on the shelf and don't get along with the preservatives that stop products from spoiling.
That's why you'll see ferment and postbiotic forms instead, like Lactobacillus Ferment or Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate.
There isn't a fixed percentage for this ingredient since it is dosed by strain and viable count.
On the fungal acne front: Lactobacillus is a bacterium (not a fungus). The whole culture contains no fatty acids, esters, or oils that Malassezia can feed on so it is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about LactobacillusPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract comes Peony plant. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Emerging studies also show peony root may help reduce hyperpigmentation.
Ancient Chinese medicine has used peony root to treat dark spots, but studies are looking into this claim more.
Learn more about Paeonia Suffruticosa Root ExtractScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung issues and hypertension.
Learn more about Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
