What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingGlyceryl Dioleate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientSclareolide
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Glyceryl Dioleate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Phytosphingosine, Phytosterols, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Sclareolide, Tocopherol, Triolein, Phenoxyethanol
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 TriglycerideDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate (DESM) is a photostabilizer, antioxidant, and SPF booster.
One of DESM's main roles is stabilizing UV filters, especially avobenzone. Avobenzone is notoriously unstable when exposed to sunlight. By enhancing the stability of these filters, DESM helps maintain the sunscreen's effectivess through wear. It also helps improve protection against long-wave UVA rays by increasing the wavelength of the formula.
Besides enhancing UVA protection, DESM can boost the SPF of high-SPF formulations by up to 5 units.
DESM also preserves the color integrity of cosmetic products and helps reduce the chance of yellowing of fading due to light exposure.
This ingredient is typically found in concentrations between 0.3% - 0.5%. There are currently no maximum usage limits by regulatory bodies.
Though this ingredient is a chemical UV filter, it can often be found in "100% mineral" sunscreens. This is due to regulatory loopholes.
Learn more about Diethylhexyl SyringylidenemalonateTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
