What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyethylene
Abrasive
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Nylon-12
Aluminum Sucrose Octasulfate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingParfum
Masking
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethylene, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Nylon-12, Aluminum Sucrose Octasulfate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Water, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Parfum, Glyceryl Linolenate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingParaffin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Triacontanyl Pvp
HumectantDipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer
Abrasive
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Polyquaternium-61
Skin ConditioningBHT
Antioxidant
Paraffinum Liquidum, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethicone, Triacontanyl Pvp, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Glycerin, Squalane, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Synthetic Wax, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Polyethylene, Polyquaternium-61, BHT
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinParaffinum 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 LiquidumPolyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.
It is also typically used within product formulations to help bind solid ingredients together and thicken oil-based ingredients. When added to balms and emulsions, it helps increase the melting point temperature.
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
