What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Isododecane
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polybutene
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Panax Ginseng Seed Oil
Emollient
Artemisia Vulgaris Oil
Perfuming
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Masking
Corylus Avellana Seed Oil
Emollient
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventPanax Ginseng Extract
Antioxidant
Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Isododecane, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Octyldodecanol, Polybutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Water, Tocopherol, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Artemisia Vulgaris Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethyl Hexanediol, Panax Ginseng Extract, Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Triethylhexanoin, Glycine Soja Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Parfum, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
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 TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilSorbeth-30 Tetraoleate is a surfactant and emulsifier.
This ingredient is a tetraester from oleic acid and polyethylene glycol ether of sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it helps ingredients such as oil and water mix together. This allows the dirt and oils in your skin to be washed away.
One study found pumpkin oil containing Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate helped hydrate the skin and did not cause any irritation.
Learn more about Sorbeth-30 TetraoleateTocopherol 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
