What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrastis Canadensis Extract
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Hydrastis Canadensis Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Callus
Antimicrobial
Maranta Arundinacea Root Extract
SmoothingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate
CleansingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coconut Acid
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Sorbitol, Rosa Damascena Callus, Maranta Arundinacea Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, 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.
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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinMyristic Acid, aka tetradecanoic acid, is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in coconut oil and palm oil.
In skincare, it is an:
Research indicates that this ingredient posts a low risk of irritation and sensitization.
Since myristic acid is a C14 fatty acid, it falls within the range that Malassezia can metabolize, and therefore not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Myristic AcidStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Tocopherol 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 Tocopherol
