What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mel
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyltrimonium Honey
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Oil
Perfuming
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Mel, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Cyanocobalamin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Glycerin, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Xylityl Sesquicaprylate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Officinalis Root
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Honey
Humectant
Polydiallyl Phthalate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningWater, Althaea Officinalis Root, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Glycerin, Honey, Polydiallyl Phthalate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
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 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 JuiceBehentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
