What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cera Alba
Emollient
Aroma
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Lanolin
Emollient
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Rebaudioside A
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone
Skin ConditioningEuphorbia Cerifera Wax
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingParaffin
Skin ConditioningPolybutene
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tribehenin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Octyldodecanol, Microcrystalline Wax, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Ceresin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Ozokerite, Paraffin, Polybutene, Jojoba Esters, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tribehenin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Trihydroxystearin, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum
Reviews
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 ButterCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilHelianthus 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 OilThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilTocopherol 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
