What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Euterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Isoamyl Cocoate
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ceramide NP, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ethyl Linoleate, Tocopherol, Isoamyl Cocoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Copper PCA
HumectantSerica
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Triacetin
AntimicrobialPEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Tribehenin
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Ceteareth-20, Glycerin, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Ceramide Ng, Cholesterol, Adenosine, Squalane, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Copper PCA, Serica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Allantoin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Triacetin, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Sodium PCA, Tribehenin, Urea, Polyquaternium-51, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Hexylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene
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 ingredientās 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 TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itās technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term āoil-freeā isnāt regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
