What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Bentonite
Absorbent
Propanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
Humectant
Malic Acid
Buffering
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Acetic Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Octyldodecanol, Sulfur, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Menthyl Lactate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492, Glycerin, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Acetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Benzoate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sea Silt
Skin ConditioningBentonite
Absorbent
Kaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Seed
Exfoliating
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Quartz
Abrasive
Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sea Silt, Bentonite, Kaolin, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cucumis Sativus Seed, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Vegetable Oil, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Quartz, Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract
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 JuiceBentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.
As a clay, bentonite is often used to absorb excess oil and provide exfoliation. It has also been shown to have some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show bentonite was effective at calming dermatitis from poison ivy and in diaper dermatitis of infants. Bentonite has also been shown to act as a barrier against toxic compounds on your skin.
Sunscreens containing bentonite display higher water resistance and stay on the skin for much longer. The sunscreens containing bentonite also show higher potency and UV light absorbtion.
Bentonite is naturally created from volcanic ash and several natural weathering/hydrothermal processes.
A common usage of bentonite is removing excess protein from white wines. Bentonite contains a property of being able to absorb large amounts of protein from aqueous solutions.
Phyllosilicate clay has a structure formed by sheets.
Learn more about BentoniteCetearyl 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
