What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSucrose Polystearate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Sucrose Polystearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, P-Anisic Acid, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sucrose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingCandelilla Cera
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glucose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Rhizome/Root
EmollientDextrin
AbsorbentVaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Microcrystalline Wax, Candelilla Cera, Polysorbate 20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glucose, Fructose, Parfum, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Rhizome/Root, Dextrin, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
