What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthyl Olivate
Emollient
Methyl Oleate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Ceteareth-22
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Mel Extract
MoisturisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, 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
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAzadirachta Indica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium 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 a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.
The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.
Its headline job is hydration.
The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.
Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.
On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.
There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.
Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.
Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
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 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
