What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentRhus Verniciflua Peel Cera/Rhus Succedanea Fruit Cera
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Glyceryl Behenate, Oryza Sativa Starch, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera/Rhus Succedanea Fruit Cera, Tocopherol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
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 ButterCucurbita Pepo Seed oil comes from the field pumpkin, including winter squash and the traditional orange pumpkin we see in Autumn.
Pumpkin seed oil is rich in vitamin E and plenty of fatty acids such as linoleic acids. Pumpkin seeds also have zinc and cartenoids.
Linoleic acid helps moisturize your skin as an emollient. Emollients act as a thin film to prevent moisture from escaping.
Cartenoids are an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect your skin against external damage. They also give pumpkins their classic orange color.
Fun fact: Pumpkins were first domesticated in Southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago.
Learn more about Cucurbita Pepo Seed 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 OilRosa Canina Fruit Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil that has earned its skincare reputation through chemistry.
It's dominated by fatty acids like linoleic acid (~35-55%), alpha-linolenic acid (~17-27%), and oleic acid (~14-22%). This is the exact profile that supports skin barrier, locks in hydration, and calms inflammation.
A 2024 review found evidence for the Rosa canina species supports its use for scarring, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and atopic dermatitis; this was mostly credited to its vitamin C content and fatty acid composition as the primary active mechanisms.
You might see this ingredient marketed as a "natural retinol". Some rosehip seed oils contains traces of all-trans-retinoic acid but these trace amounts are far below biologically active levels.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has deemed this ingredient safe and it's well-tolerated.
Fungal acne: The fatty acids of this oil fall into the C11-24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilJojoba 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.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilThis ingredient is also known as cupuacu butter. It's a soft, creamy plant fat that works as a skin-conditioning agent and often marketed as the plant-based alternative to lanolin.
The composition of this butter is dominated by oleic acid, stearic acid, and smaller amounts of palmitic, linoleic, and arachidic acids. There's also a useful dose of phystosterols.
That fatty-acid-and-sterol combo is why this ingredient behaves like a richer cousin of shea butter: the lipids reinforce the skin's surface and slow water loss while the sterols help support the barrier.
There's some early research too: a mouse study found cupuacu butter emulgels had antioxidant activity and a measurable photoprotective effect against UVB damage.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient but those prone to congestion might prefer formulations with lower concentrations.
Fungal acne: Cupuacu butter's fatty acids are mostly "locked up" in triglycerides that Malassezia can't easily feed on, but the yeast can slowly break these down to access the free fatty acids. Therefore, ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed ButterVitis Vinifera Seed Oil comes from the grape vine. Grape seeds are a byproduct of creating grape juice or wine.
The components of grape seeds have many skin benefits. Research has found it to be antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It also contains many potent antioxidants such as Vitamin E , Vitamin C, proanthocyanidins, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Proanthocyanidin has been shown to help even out skin tone.
Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals by donating extra electrons. Grape seed extract may help reduce the signs of aging.
The antimicrobial properties of grape seed may help treat acne. However, more research is needed to support this claim.
Grape seed has also been found to help absorb UV rays. Grape seed extract should not replace your sunscreen.
The fatty acids of grape seed oil give it emollient properties. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin by creating a film. This film traps moisture within, keeping your skin hydrated.
Learn more about Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
