What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Propanediol Citrate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer
HumectantHydroxypropylammonium Gluconate
HumectantHydroxypropylgluconamide
HumectantBis-Ethyl(Isostearylimidazoline) Isostearamide
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tricaprylyl Citrate
EmollientHeptyl Undecylenate
EmollientCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Propanediol Citrate Crosspolymer, Octyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropylammonium Gluconate, Hydroxypropylgluconamide, Bis-Ethyl(Isostearylimidazoline) Isostearamide, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Lactic Acid, Tricaprylyl Citrate, Heptyl Undecylenate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Squalane, Isopropyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Amyl Cinnamal, Citral, Geraniol, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Tartaric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Myrtrimonium Bromide
Preservative
Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Masking
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Syriacus Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Myrtrimonium Bromide, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Sorbitol, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Hibiscus Syriacus Flower Extract
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 ButterCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima 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
