What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cera Alba
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Aroma
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Tribehenin
Emollient
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Propylene Carbonate
SolventGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cinnamal
Perfuming
Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Synthetic Beeswax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Aroma, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Jojoba Esters, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tribehenin, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Polyglycerin-3, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Propylene Carbonate, Glycine Soja Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamal
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Beeswax, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Water
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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax is created from the common sunflower.
Sunflower seed wax is made up of long chain non-glyceride esters, a small amount of fatty alcohols, and fatty acids.
This ingredient is often used to enhance the texture of products. The fatty acid properties also help hydrate the skin.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed WaxHydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
This ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
