What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 40
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Oleoyl Dipeptide-15
Skin Conditioning
Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31
Antioxidant
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
EmulsifyingAluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantAquaphilus Dolomiae Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Copper Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingZinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquiisostearate, PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, Aluminum Stearate, Aquaphilus Dolomiae Ferment Filtrate, Arginine, Beeswax, Copper Sulfate, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Tromethamine, Zinc Sulfate
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.
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumWater. 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
