What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Polyisobutene
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Candelilla Cera
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingTribehenin
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyisobutene, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Candelilla Cera, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Ceresin, Tribehenin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ceramide NP, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Water, Dehydroacetic Acid
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientCera Alba
Emollient
Polyester-7
Skin ConditioningNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Propylmethylmethoxybenzofuran
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Benzyl Nicotinate
Skin ConditioningTrihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Portulaca Pilosa Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Cera/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlutathione
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantRicinus Communis Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Cera Alba, Polyester-7, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Stearic Acid, Superoxide Dismutase, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Propylmethylmethoxybenzofuran, Ceramide NP, Salicylic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Benzyl Nicotinate, Trihydroxystearin, Titanium Dioxide, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Sucrose Cocoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Linoleic Acid, Tocopherol, Oleic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Palmitic Acid, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Cera/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Xanthan Gum, Glutathione, Lactobionic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Mica, CI 77499
Reviews
Alternatives
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 ButterCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPRicinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
