What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
BufferingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Methylpropanediol, Allantoin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHexyldecanol
EmollientHexyldecyl Laurate
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingSqualane
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHeliotropine
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientWater, Sorbitol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Panthenol, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Parfum, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Squalane, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Heliotropine, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the common Marigold plant part of the Asteraceae family. This ingredient is a skin conditioner.
Marigolds contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of substances found naturally in plants. They possess antioxidant and inflammation properties.
This ingredient soothes skin inflammation by inhibiting inhibiting a part of the inflammation process.
Marigolds have been used in traditional medicine throughout Asia and Europe.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja 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 OilPanthenol 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 PanthenolTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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