What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Seed Oil
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Flour
Abrasive
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactoperoxidase
StabilisingGlucose Oxidase
StabilisingAlgae
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Echinacea Angustifolia Leaf Extract
MoisturisingCucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialCalophyllum Tacamahaca Seed Oil
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Camellia Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Flour, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lactoperoxidase, Glucose Oxidase, Algae, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Calophyllum Tacamahaca Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ledum Groenlandicum Extract
MaskingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPullulan
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Squalene
Emollient
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sucrose Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Ledum Groenlandicum Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Gluconolactone, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Benzoate, Squalene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil is from the seeds of the starflower plant. This plant grows primarily in Europe.
This oil does not have a scent. It contains fatty acids such as linolenic acid. These fatty acids help keep skin hydrated.
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Learn more about Borago Officinalis Seed OilThis 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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
