What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Euterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Aroma
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAgave Tequilana Leaf Extract
AstringentAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningLinolenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Aroma, Octyldodecanol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract, Oleic Acid, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Euterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Vanillin
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Punica Granatum Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Pilosa Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil, Vanillin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Punica Granatum Flower Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Portulaca Pilosa Extract, Sucrose Cocoate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Limonene, Linalool
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 ButterCoco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateWe don't have a description for Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate yet.
We don't have a description for Euterpe Oleracea Sterols yet.
Helianthus 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 OilWe don't have a description for Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides yet.
Polyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic AcidTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterTocopherol 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
