What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycine Soja Oil
EmollientSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientParfum
MaskingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningAmyris Balsamifera Bark Oil
MaskingCanola Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantMagnesium Sulfate
Cyclopentasiloxane
EmollientBHT
AntioxidantPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningCI 61565
Cosmetic ColorantGlycine Soja Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Parfum, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Canola Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Sulfate, Cyclopentasiloxane, BHT, Phenyl Trimethicone, CI 61565
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Canola Oil is a plant-oil and low-erucic-acid variety of rapeseed. Like other seed oils, it functions as an emollient that softens skin and slows water loss.
Its fatty acid profile is mostly linoleic acid (55-65%) with some oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. There are also some small amounts of vitamin E and plant sterols.
The sterol content is pretty interesting:
In a controlled human study, a single application of canola oil and especially its sterol-enriched fraction reduced visible irritation, redness, and water loss caused by SLS. Plain canola oil and most other tested oils did little on healthy, un-irritated skin.
It's pretty much just a calm, moisturizing oil that helps with soothing if your skin is already irritated.
Since canola oil is made up of C18 fatty acids, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on chain lengths C11-24.
Fun fact: Canadian growers bred the low-erucic variety in the 1970's, and the name stands for "Canadian oil, Low Acid").
Learn more about Canola OilParfum 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 ParfumSesamum Indicum Seed Oil is the cold-pressed oil from sesame seeds.
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent made up of roughly 82-85% unsaturated fatty acids, mostly linoleic (~41%) and oleic acid (~39%).
This pairing gives it barrier-supporting and moisturizing properties. Linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid, can be incorporated into complex skin lipids. Topical application has shown barrier repair, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing effects in cell and animal studies.
Beyond fatty acids, sesame oil brings something more distinctive to the table:
It contains natural antioxidants sesamol, sesamolin, and gamma-tocopherol. These also give the oil notably high oxidative stability.
One of the oil's key lignans, sesamin, has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in preclinical models.
A 2023 clinical study found that a single application of sesame seed oil to the forearms of 35 healthy women improved stratum corneum hydration (though it didn't outperform raspberry seed oil).
The comedogenic rating of 1-3 depends on the type of sesame oil; unrefined carries a rating of 3 while refined sesame oil drops to a 1.
This ingredient may not be safe for fungal acne as it contains fatty acids that can feed Malassezia.
Learn more about Sesamum Indicum Seed OilThis ingredient is also known as Cocoa butter; it's the fat pressed out of roasted cocoa beans.
Cocoa butter is solid at room temperature and melts right around body temperature, which is why it feels waxy in the jar and slippery on skin.
It has a very saturated profile (stearic acid ~34 to 36%, oleic acid ~30 to 40%, and palmitic acid ~24 to 29%) that makes it a strong occlusive: it sits on top and slows water escaping from skin.
Concentration data shows that it can show up anywhere from a few percent in lotions up to 100% in balms, and the FDA lists cocoa butter as an OTC skin protectant active at 50-100%.
The CIR has reviewed it and concluded it to be safe as used in cosmetics.
This is one of the ingredients with a comedogenic score of 4/5 from the rabbit ear test. Just know that a later human study did find that finished products containing high-comedogenic ingredients like cocoa butter did not increase microcomedone formation.
The fair call here is that this ingredient is most likely fine on body or low-percentage formulas, but can potentially be riskier as a heavy leave-on facial product if you break out easily.
Cocoa butter may not be fungal acne safe; it is a triglyceride of C16-18 fatty acids that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Allergies to cocoa butter are rare and uncommon, but a few cases have been documented (mostly in cases where the person ate chocolate). So if you have a tree nut allergy, be sure to patch test or avoid.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter