What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningCannabis Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningMel
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAlgae
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicDimethyl Sulfone
SolventTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Panthenol, Mel, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Algae, Biotin, Dimethyl Sulfone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Mentha Piperita Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDistearyldimonium Chloride
Glycerin
HumectantHeptyl Undecylenate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
EmollientCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
AntioxidantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Behentrimonium Chloride
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Heptyl Undecylenate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol
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 ButterCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCetyl 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 AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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