What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthyl Olivate
EmollientMethyl Oleate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientCeteareth-22
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
EmollientOlive Oil PEG-7 Esters
EmollientParfum
MaskingTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium PCA
HumectantImidazolidinyl Urea
PreservativeLactic Acid
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningMel Extract
MoisturisingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
BHT
AntioxidantWater, Ethyl Olivate, Methyl Oleate, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Ceteareth-22, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cetyl Palmitate, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Parfum, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Lactic Acid, Carbomer, Allantoin, Mel Extract, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, BHT
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAzadirachta Indica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
HumectantSalicylic Acid
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
DMDM Hydantoin
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberButeth-3
SolventTributyl Citrate
SolventSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Carbomer, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Buteth-3, Tributyl Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide
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 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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