What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentPolymethyl Methacrylate
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDisodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Oryza Sativa Starch, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Benzoic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Laurate, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Tocopherol, Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingStearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Starch, Glycolic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Arachidyl Glucoside, Bisabolol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Parfum, Glyceryl Laurate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Tocopherol, Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
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 TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract is a fragrance.
Oryza Sativa Starch is an absorbent and used to mattify the skin. It is a natural carbohydrate and the main component of rice. A more common name for this ingredient is 'rice starch'.
Rice starch is created by steeping broken grains in a caustic soda.
Rice extract has many skin benefits. Read more about rice extract here.
Learn more about Oryza Sativa StarchPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWe don't have a description for Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate yet.
Tocopherol 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 TocopherolWe don't have a description for Tripterygium Wilfordii Callus Extract yet.
Water. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
