What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarvone
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Linalyl Acetate
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Adenosine, Carbomer, CI 77891, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Mica, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tin Oxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Carvone, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
