What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Polysilicone-11
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xylitol
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Carbomer, Xylitylglucoside, Polysilicone-11, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearic Acid, Anhydroxylitol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Xylitol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide EOP
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Salvia Hispanica Herb Oil
Perfuming
Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine
Skin ProtectingSpilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Isocetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPentasodium Pentetate
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Tocopherol, Salvia Hispanica Herb Oil, Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Ceramide NP, Isocetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phytosterols, Ferulic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Pentasodium Pentetate, Potassium Hydroxide
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 ButterCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about Propanediol
