What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSodium PCA
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingOctyldodecanol
EmollientRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningVetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract
PerfumingCoconut Alkanes
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientOctyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientCapparis Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingInulin
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantMaltodextrin
AbsorbentCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhenylpropanol
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Lactate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Sodium PCA, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Inulin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Carbomer, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Lactate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPopulus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningGalactoarabinan
Cetyl Palmitate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSantalum Spicata Wood Oil
PerfumingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
MaskingCymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
MaskingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingSodium Phytate
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Galactoarabinan, Cetyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Santalum Spicata Wood Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Anisate, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cardiospermum halicacabum extract is more commonly known as Balloon Vine Extract.
Balloon Vine Extract helps soothe skin and is an antioxidant. It also contains many fatty acids, such as palmitic, oleic, and stearic acids. While these fatty acids help soften skin, they may not be fungal-friendly.
Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Balloon Vine has been used in traditional medicine in many Asian cultures.
Learn more about Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine ExtractGlycerin (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 Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateSunflower seed oil unsaponifiables comes from the the small part of sunflower seed oil that does not convert into soap during the saponification process.
This ingredient is rich in vitamin E, fatty acids (like linoleic acid), and other lipophilic compounds, making it a great emollient. Emollients help keep the skin hydrated and soft.
Due to its rich fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil UnsaponifiablesOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil is oil from the seeds of Black Currant. A more common name for this ingredient is Black Currant Seed Oil.
Black Currant Seed Oil contains a high amount of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains linoleic acid.
Black currant berries contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Black currant berries also contain Vitamin E and fatty acids. It can help soften the skin.
Learn more about Ribes Nigrum Seed OilSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
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 Tocopherol