What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolysilicone-11
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester
EmollientC18-36 Acid Triglyceride
EmollientTribehenin
Emollient
PEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventDimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Melatonin, Ceramide Ng, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysilicone-11, Ethoxydiglycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Laurate, C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Tribehenin, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Dimethyl Isosorbide
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Heptyl Undecylenate
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Panthenyl Triacetate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Naringenin
Skin ConditioningOleuropein
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Phosphatidylserine
Emulsion StabilisingArnica Montana Extract
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventStearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Heptyl Undecylenate, Glycine Soja Oil, Panthenyl Triacetate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Naringenin, Oleuropein, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Phosphatidylserine, Arnica Montana Extract, Phospholipids, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Methicone, Propylene Carbonate, Stearalkonium Hectorite
Reviews
Alternatives
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 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 TriglycerideCaprylyl Methicone is a synthetic and lightweight silicone fluid. It gives products a silky, dry-touch finish without the heaviness of pure oils.
Though the EU CosIng Database lists this ingredient as a skin conditioner, it is also used for sensory reasons. It spreads easily, cuts greasiness, and reduces tackiness.
This ingredient is volatile which means it will mostly evaporate (but it evaporates slower than older cyclomethicones, like Cyclotetrasiloxane).
Typical concentration ranges from 1-30% depending on if it's being used to tweak the feel of a product or acting as the main emollient.
Learn more about Caprylyl MethiconeCyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.
D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.
It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.
Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 is a synthetic lipopeptide. This just means it's a short chain of six amino acids with a palmitic acid molecule attached to one end.
The palmitoyl group increases the lipophilicity, helping it penetrate the lipid-rich outer layer of skin more effectively.
Once inside, it helps with keeping skin springy and firm. It works by mimicking the skin repair signals your skin naturally sends out when it's damaged and telling it to kick into rebuild mode.
Studies have shown it can help strengthen the skin barrier as well so it's useful beyond just anti-aging.
In vitro studies suggest it can switch on genes that help skin cells grow, move around, and rebuild skin structure. Just keep in mind most of the strong evidence is from lab studies rather than large-scale clinical trials.
Lab studies suggest it can switch on genes that help skin cells grow, move around, and rebuild skin structure.
This ingredient is usually used at very low concentrations (0.002% in leave-on products).
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.
That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.
Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.
In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.
Human clinical data is promising, but modest:
A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.
A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.
You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
