Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Bio-Oil Skincare Oil versus Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil .

Published on August 17, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe oils. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain retinoid and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Oil Brand
Oil Brand

Oil

Oils are an emollient and can act as a supplement to your skincare routine.

Oil

Oils are an emollient and can act as a supplement to your skincare routine.

Price

Shop

Buy Skincare Oil

Starts at $14.99
Shop

Buy Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil

Starts at $10.97

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin E (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (4)
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema (2)
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate is derived from cetearyl alcohol and sorbic acid.

It is an emollient and helps hydrate the skin. Emollients form a barrier on the skin to prevent water from escaping.

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 3.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 4.

2
What it does: Emollient, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Isopropyl Myristate is an emollient, thickening agent, and texture enhancer. It is created from isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid.

It is used to help other ingredients be better absorbed. It is also an emollient and may help soften and hydrate the skin.

The comedogenic rating of this ingredient depends on the concentration. Lower amounts results in a lower rating.

Isopropyl Myristate may not be fungal acne safe. It can potentially worsen acne prone skin.

Learn more about Isopropyl Myristate

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 4.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is the oil derived from the seeds of a Sunflower. Sunflower seed oil is non-fragrant. It is an emollient, meaning it helps to soften the skin.

Sunflower seed oil contains many fatty acids. The fatty acids found in sunflower seeds include (from highest amount to least): linoleic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, and linolenic acid.

These fatty acids help the skin create ceramides. Ceramides play a role in repairing the skin barrier.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil helps moisturize the skin. This in turn helps the skin look more rejuvenated and smoother.

Sunflowers are rich in vitamin E.

Historians believe Indigenous cultures of North America domesticated sunflowers before corn. Thus they relied on sunflower oil for a variety of uses. One such use is moisturizing skin and hair.

Sunflower seed oil may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 6.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 19.

4
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 7.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 13.

5
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 15.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 22.

6
What it does: Perfuming, Skin Conditioning

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone is a fragrance. It can be synthetically created or naturally occurring.

The scent of Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone is described as "flowery" but can also be "woody".

Naturally occurring Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone may be found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or the yeast used to make wine and bread.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Learn more about Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 16.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 27.

7
What it does: Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".

Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.

Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.

Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,

Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.

Learn more about Citronellol

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 19.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 26.

8
What it does: Perfuming, Tonic
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.

Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.

Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.

Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.

Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.

Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.

2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-

Learn more about Geraniol

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil contains this as ingredient number 23.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil contains this as ingredient number 28.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

15% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
56% are disliked or very disliked
22% have no rating yet
16% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
59% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Bio-Oil Skincare Oil 27 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 ratings
OhHelloDeer's avatar

OhHelloDeer

9 months ago · Normal Skin
Review

Light-weight and amazing for dry skin and acne scars

fmlcrps's avatar

fmlcrps

12 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Only use it for body if you have sensitive face.
Broke my fungal acne out like crazy after I use it on face for 2 nights. I wonder why it works so...

Only use it for body if you have sensitive face.
Broke my fungal acne out like crazy after I use it on face for 2 nights. I wonder why it works so well for other people acne scars. But it really has effect on lightening some scars on my body.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil 32 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Aries's avatar

Aries

1 year ago · Normal Skin
Review

Great Product
Another one of my favorites from Palmers. This and the fade milk kept my skin smooth, glowing, and even for decades.

averyjadkins's avatar

averyjadkins

7 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Makes my skin so hydrated and helps my acne

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 8 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Bio-Oil Skincare Oil.

See 8 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 5 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Face Oil.

See 5 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...