What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientParfum
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Isododecane, Parfum, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Citric Acid, Benzyl Benzoate
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Isododecane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pistacia Vera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Isododecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, Parfum, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Limonene, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Pistacia Vera Seed Oil, Linalool, Citral, Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilBenzyl Benzoate is usually created from the condensation of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. It is used as a preservative, solvent, and has a floral/balsamic scent in large amounts.
As a preservative, Benzyl Benzoate works against bacteria and fungus. It is often used to treat scabies and lice in medicine.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Due to its fragrance, Benzyl Benzoate can be sensitizing and may cause contact dermatitis. It is a known EU allergen. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Benzyl Benzoate can be naturally found in cranberries and peaches.
Learn more about Benzyl BenzoateCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilIsododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.
As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.
Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.
Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.
The chemical name for this ingredient is 2,2,4,6,6-PENTAMETHYLHEPTANE.
Learn more about IsododecaneParfum 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 Parfum
