What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hypericum Perforatum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil
Masking
Santalum Spicata Wood Oil
Perfuming
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hypericum Perforatum Flower Extract, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Santalum Spicata Wood Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Sweet orange peel oil is made by cold-pressing the peel of a sweet orange to squeeze out its naturally fragrant oil. In skincare, it's mostly used to give products a fresh, citrusy scent.
It's generally considered safe, but citrus peel naturally contains compounds called furocoumarins. These become phototoxic when exposed to UV - meaning they react with sunlight in a way that can irritate or damage skin.
At higher concentrations, that reaction can lead to sun sensitivity, irritation, or dermatitis (red, inflamed skin). If your skin is sensitive, it's worth being a little cautious with fragrant citrus oils like this one.
Learn more about Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil ExpressedThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil is better known as wheat germ oil. It's a golden oil that softens skin as an emollient and deliver antioxidants.
Most of its fatty acid profile is dominated by linoleic acid (~55%) with smaller amounts of palmitic, oleic, and linolenic. Linoleic acid helps reinforce the skin barrier and slow moisture loss.
Wheat germ oil's real claim to fame is its vitamin E content; it has the highest vitamin E of any vegetable oil. This gives is strong antioxidant properties and helps the oil resist going rancid.
Patch-testing of wheat-germ products has shown no irritation or sensitization, and this ingredient is a great choice for dry skin. It might be a bit heavy for acne-prone or oily skin.
There are just three caveats worth knowing:
Like other plant oils, it contains the C11-24 fatty acids that Malassezia can metabolize. Therefore, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Refined oils carry very little protein, but anyone diagnosed with a wheat or gluten allergy should patch test just to be cautious.
While blogs like to list this ingredient with a comedogenic rating of 5, the original study was actually done on a different ingredient: wheat germ triglycerides. Wheat germ triglycerides actually scored a 3 and not a 5. The 5 appears to be a mix-up that spread across charts over the years, with no actual data behind it.
Learn more about Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
