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Herbal Essentials Hydra Active Gel
Herbal Essentials

Herbal Essentials Hydra Active Gel

Efficacy50/100IrritancyMedium
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Works for

0 of 1 advertised claim delivered

Moisturizing
5 ingredients credited for this claim
Limited support
What the product description says
“Hydra Active Gel”
From product name

Contains humectants (honey, mel) to help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and emollients (mel, pentylene glycol) to help soften the skin, but these ingredients are not the most effective.

HoneyKey active· HumectantEffect: MediumHelps attract water to the skin and might have some anti-bacterial properties. Can be an allergen~1.1–1.6%
MelKey active· Humectant, EmollientEffect: MediumHelps to soften the upper layer of the skin and attract water to it~1.4–2%
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powderEffect: LowTraditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin~0.4–0.9%
Pentylene glycol· EmollientEffect: LowUsed to preserve products, dissolve other ingredients and create a nice product texture~5.7–8.6%
TocopherolEffect: Low, below effective dosePure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself~0.1–0.35%

Can it cause trouble?

Irritancy
2 strong irritants: Parfum, Mentha piperita oil
Medium risk
We flagged 10 ingredients with irritancy potential. Severity depends on your sensitivity threshold; the table lists the worst offenders first.
IngredientFunctionIrritationEst. amount
ParfumAn aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredientsHigh~0.3–0.7%est.
Mentha piperita oilUsed as a fragrance and can be irritatingHigh~0.1–0.35%est.
Ci 19140A yellow dyeHigh~0.05–0.15%est.
Pentylene glycolUsed to preserve products, dissolve other ingredients and create a nice product textureMedium~5.7–8.6%est.
Disodium edtaStabilizes the product formulationMedium~0.5–1%est.
Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oilHelps oil and water mix togetherMedium~0.6–1.4%est.
EthylhexylglycerinA preservativeMedium~0.5–1.15%est.
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powderTraditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skinMedium~0.4–0.9%est.
Citric acidCan work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pHMedium~0.15–0.55%est.
Ci 42090A colorant (dye)Medium~0.01–0.05%est.
Comedogenic
Clean of flagged comedogenic ingredients
None flagged
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Ingredients

Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.

Water~40–60%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Plain old water

More about Water
Pentylene glycol~5.7–8.6%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Moisturizing

Used to preserve products, dissolve other ingredients and create a nice product texture

More about Pentylene glycol
Propanediol~3.5–5.2%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Acts as a solvent for other ingredients. Speeds up the absorption of other ingredients into the skin

More about Propanediol
Glycereth-26~2.6–3.9%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Helps create a thicker product consistency

More about Glycereth-26
Phenoxyethanol~0.5–1%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products

More about Phenoxyethanol
Carbomer~1.5–2.3%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Cleansing

Helps create a thicker or gel-like product texture. It is not a surfactant but can be used in gentle cleansing formulations

More about Carbomer
Mel~1.4–2%
Key active
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Moisturizing

Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and attract water to it

More about Mel
Honey~1.1–1.6%
Key active
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
MoisturizingAntibacterial

Helps attract water to the skin and might have some anti-bacterial properties. Can be an allergen

More about Honey
Disodium edta~0.5–1%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

Stabilizes the product formulation

More about Disodium edta
Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil~0.6–1.4%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Cleansing

Helps oil and water mix together

More about Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil
Ethylhexylglycerin~0.5–1.15%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

A preservative

More about Ethylhexylglycerin
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder~0.4–0.9%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Moisturizing

Traditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin

More about Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder
Parfum~0.3–0.7%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients

More about Parfum
Sodium hydroxide~0.2–0.7%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Used to adjust the product's pH

More about Sodium hydroxide
Citric acid~0.15–0.55%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

Can work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pH

More about Citric acid
Mentha piperita oil~0.1–0.35%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

Used as a fragrance and can be irritating

More about Mentha piperita oil
Tocopherol~0.1–0.35%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Anti-oxidationAnti-agingAnti-inflammatoryMoisturizing

Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself

More about Tocopherol
Cl 19140 c
Not recognized
Ci 19140~0.05–0.15%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High

A yellow dye

More about Ci 19140
Ci 42090~0.01–0.05%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium

A colorant (dye)

More about Ci 42090
Ingredient list view

Water, Pentylene glycol, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Mel, Honey, Disodium edta, Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder, Parfum, Sodium hydroxide, Citric acid, Mentha piperita oil, Tocopherol, Unknown, Ci 19140, Ci 42090

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Sources cited in this review

Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 5 studies and safety reviews.

  1. 1
    Safety Assessment of Glycerin Ethoxylates as Used in Cosmeticscir-safety.org
  2. 2
    Amended Safety Assessment of PEGylated Oils as Used in Cosmeticscir-safety.org
  3. 3
    Vitamin E in dermatologyncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. 4
    Vitamin E and Skin Healthlpi.oregonstate.edu
  5. 5
    Analysis of Dyes in Cosmetics: Challenges and Recent Developmentsmdpi.com
Herbal Essentials Hydra Active Gel
Herbal EssentialsHydra Active Gel
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As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.