What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Cetearyl Olivate
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Isoamyl Laurate, Coco-Caprylate, Bakuchiol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Cetearyl Olivate, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Polawax Nf
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Aesculus Hippocastanum Bark Extract
AstringentPunica Granatum Bark Extract
MaskingEpigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
C18-36 Acid Triglyceride
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Polawax Nf, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Glycerin, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Bark Extract, Punica Granatum Bark Extract, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Allantoin, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Resveratrol, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum
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 TriglycerideCetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateTocopherol 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
