What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Cetearyl Olivate
Sulfated Olive Oil
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Lecithin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Cetearyl Olivate, Sulfated Olive Oil, Xanthan Gum, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Dextran
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Dextran, Sodium PCA, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Reviews
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 ButterCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateGlycerin (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 GlycerinJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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
