What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingMethylpropanediol
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSqualene
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingEriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningAcorus Calamus Root Extract
PerfumingPerilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
TonicSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose
HumectantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
MaskingCynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningMineral Salts
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Carbomer, Allantoin, Arginine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Squalene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Sodium Phytate, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Sucrose, Phytosterols, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Mineral Salts, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsoamyl Laurate
EmollientRosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientPropanediol
SolventCetyl Alcohol
EmollientSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSambucus Nigra Seed Oil
Bisabolol
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantXylitylglucoside
HumectantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantCleome Gynandra Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
AntimicrobialCellulose
AbsorbentSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Phytate
Myristic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAlcohol
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantCI 75810
Cosmetic ColorantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Water, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sambucus Nigra Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Avena Sativa Seed Extract, Glucose, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Xylitylglucoside, Phytosterols, Arginine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Cellulose, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Phytate, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, CI 75810
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineThis 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 ButterThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateHelianthus 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 OilPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhytosterols are plant-derived sterols (you can think of them as the plant world's version of cholesterol). In cosmetics, this ingredient is usually sourced from soybean, rice bran, shea, sunflower, and other seed oils.
The main actors in this group are β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol (the CIR covers 27 phytosterols).
They work by fitting perfectly into your stratum corneum's lipid matrix since they're structurally similar to cholesterol. Here, they reinforce your skin's barrier.
One small in vivo human study showed topical soybean phytosterols sped up barrier recovery within three days on tape-stripped skin.
Broader research credits them with:
Formulation use typically sit under 5%.
Testing in soy-allergic subjects found no sensitization signals, but be sure to patch test if you are unsure or have existing allergies.
Learn more about PhytosterolsPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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