Aveeno Active Naturals Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer
The Aveeno Active Naturals Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 38 ingredients (32 low-risk) rates it Excellent (90/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
The Aveeno Active Naturals Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 38 ingredients (32 low-risk) rates it Excellent (90/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Benzophenone-3
(Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Homosalate
(Fragrance, Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber, Skin Conditioning, Uv Filter) |
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Octocrylene
(Sunscreen Agent, Uv Absorber, Uv Filter) |
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Water
(Solvent) |
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Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient) |
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Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Cetyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Opacifying, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
(Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Surfactant) |
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Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
(Absorbent, Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
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Fragrance
(Deodorant, Masking, Perfuming) |
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Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative) |
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Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
(Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Opacifying, Slip Modifier, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Microcrystalline Cellulose
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Slip Modifier, Viscosity Increasing Agent) |
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Cellulose Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Fragrance, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Urea
(Buffering Agent, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning) |
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Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Artemisia Abrotanum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
(Moisturising) |
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Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
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Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant) |
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Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
(Adhesive, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Polyquaternium-51
(Film Forming, Humectant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Trehalose
(Flavoring Agent, Humectant, Moisturising) |
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Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Tocopherol (Vitamin E) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
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Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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