What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Yeast Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTerminalia Catappa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingParfum
Masking
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingTannic Acid
AstringentCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingDisodium EDTA
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Pantolactone
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Water, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lactobacillus, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Terminalia Catappa Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Parfum, Pvp, Tannic Acid, Carbomer, Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hydroxide, Linalool, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Pantolactone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientShea Butter Glycerides
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Shea Butter Glycerides, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic 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.
Caprylic/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 ingredientās 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 TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil is from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. It is a skin conditioning agent and emollient that sits on top of skin to soften and hydrate it.
Over 98% of the oil is made up of long-chain fatty acids, mostly aachidic acid (61%), docosenoic acid (~16%), and docosadienoic acid (~18%).
This combination is not really found in any other plant oil and is the reason this is one of the most stable botanical oils available.
Some studies show it to be more stable than jojoba oil, helps a product resist going rancid, and can help extend the shelf life of a formula.
It also naturally contains vitamin E and phytosterols that give it a mild antioxidant benefit.
This ingredient is typically used from around 1% to fairly high levels since it's gentle; it's well-tolerated and low on the irritation scale.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilWater. 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 Water
