What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEuphorbia Cerifera Wax
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Pullulan
Lauryl Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
CleansingKaolin
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Prunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCamellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides
EmollientCitrus Junos Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tribehenin, Pullulan, Lauryl Laurate, Ceteareth-20, Kaolin, Parfum, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hcl, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Biotin, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Carbonate, Stearic Acid, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Carbomer, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Citrus Junos Peel Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Garcinia Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceteareth-20, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
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 ButterCaprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.
Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.
Learn more about Caprylhydroxamic AcidCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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.
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 GlycerinRicinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
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 Ricinus Communis Seed OilWater. 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
