What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cholesterol
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol, Water, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cholesterol, Calendula Officinalis Flower, Phytosphingosine, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Stearamide Amp
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycol Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Triolein, Disodium EDTA, Stearamide Amp, Carbomer, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinHelianthus 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 OilStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
