What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
AstringentVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Phytate
Water, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Coco-Glucoside, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientSymphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingNepeta Cataria Extract
TonicRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBaptisia Tinctoria Root Extract
Skin ConditioningStellaria Media Extract
Skin ConditioningAlchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract
AntioxidantViola Tricolor Extract
EmollientRosa Damascena Flower Extract
MaskingSpiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningEuphrasia Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialThuja Occidentalis Leaf Extract
AntioxidantAchillea Millefolium Flower Extract
AntioxidantTrifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentMenyanthes Trifoliata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentPoncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningImperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingUrea
BufferingSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantViscum Album Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingTromethamine
BufferingPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCetearyl Olivate
Palmitic Acid
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium EDTA
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantifolia Oil
CleansingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dipropylene Glycol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Triethylhexanoin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Nepeta Cataria Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract, Stellaria Media Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Viola Tricolor Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Thuja Occidentalis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Menyanthes Trifoliata Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, C14-22 Alcohols, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Arachidyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Urea, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Viscum Album Extract, Glycosyl Trehalose, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium EDTA, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract is is derived from colloidal oatmeal. Besides being a healthy breakfast, oats have many benefits in skincare too.
This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.
The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.
Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our skin from free-radical damage.
Oatmeal also contains beneficial compounds:
This ingredient is created by mixing grounded oatmeal and a liquid base.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel ExtractThis 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 ButterCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol 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