What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC13-15 Alkane
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Naringenin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, C13-15 Alkane, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Naringenin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Phytosterols, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sphingolipids, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Salvia Hispanica Herb Oil
Perfuming
Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine
Skin ProtectingSpilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Isocetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPentasodium Pentetate
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Tocopherol, Salvia Hispanica Herb Oil, Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Ceramide NP, Isocetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phytosterols, Ferulic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Pentasodium Pentetate, Potassium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhytosterols are plant-derived sterols (you can think of them as the plant world's version of cholesterol). In cosmetics, this ingredient is usually sourced from soybean, rice bran, shea, sunflower, and other seed oils.
The main actors in this group are β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol (the CIR covers 27 phytosterols).
They work by fitting perfectly into your stratum corneum's lipid matrix since they're structurally similar to cholesterol. Here, they reinforce your skin's barrier.
One small in vivo human study showed topical soybean phytosterols sped up barrier recovery within three days on tape-stripped skin.
Broader research credits them with:
Formulation use typically sit under 5%.
Testing in soy-allergic subjects found no sensitization signals, but be sure to patch test if you are unsure or have existing allergies.
Learn more about Phytosterols
