What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Sulfur, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOrchid Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMethylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningCopper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Batyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyacrylamide
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Dimethicone, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Orchid Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Stearyl Alcohol, Phytosterols, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Tocopherol, Behenyl Alcohol, Batyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
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 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 TriglycerideDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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
