What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingUndecane
EmollientTridecane
PerfumingCetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingBentonite
AbsorbentParfum
MaskingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientAlcohol
AntimicrobialTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingCitric Acid
BufferingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Undecane, Tridecane, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopherol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Bentonite, Parfum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Stearic Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Carbomer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Alcohol, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientBentonite
AbsorbentTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caffeine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Bentonite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, CI 17200, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bentonite is an aluminium phyllosilicate clay with great absorbent properties. The name 'bentonite' comes from the area where the largest source is found: Fort Benton, Wyoming.
As a clay, bentonite is often used to absorb excess oil and provide exfoliation. It has also been shown to have some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show bentonite was effective at calming dermatitis from poison ivy and in diaper dermatitis of infants. Bentonite has also been shown to act as a barrier against toxic compounds on your skin.
Sunscreens containing bentonite display higher water resistance and stay on the skin for much longer. The sunscreens containing bentonite also show higher potency and UV light absorbtion.
Bentonite is naturally created from volcanic ash and several natural weathering/hydrothermal processes.
A common usage of bentonite is removing excess protein from white wines. Bentonite contains a property of being able to absorb large amounts of protein from aqueous solutions.
Phyllosilicate clay has a structure formed by sheets.
Learn more about BentoniteButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract is from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
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 ingredient’s 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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient 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.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
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 ParfumPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract comes from the avocado.
Avocados are rich in fatty acids. About 67% of these fatty acids is made up of oleic acid. Palmitic acid and linoleic acid are also present.
Besides fatty acids, avocados also have B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, and potassium.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima Fruit ExtractWater. 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