What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phytelephas Aequatorialis Seed Powder
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Euterpe Oleracea Pulp Powder
Abrasive
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phytelephas Aequatorialis Seed Powder, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Pulp Powder, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77491
Water
Skin ConditioningBambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningDiatomaceous Earth
Abrasive
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
C15-19 Alkane
SolventIlex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBromelain
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantZingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCurcuma Longa Root Powder
Skin ConditioningHylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Diatomaceous Earth, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, C15-19 Alkane, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Ilex Guayusa Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bromelain, Sodium Phytate, Papain, Polyglycerin-6, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Curcuma Longa Root Powder, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carthamus 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 OilCetyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
