What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Myrica Cerifera Fruit Wax
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Myrica Cerifera Fruit Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Coffea Arabica Seed Oil, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Vanilla Planifolia Tincture
Perfuming
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Vanilla Planifolia Tincture, Colloidal Oatmeal, Allantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Sclerotium Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 ButterThis ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about Tocopherol
