What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Didecene
Skin ConditioningVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientOctyldodecyl Isostearate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cocoglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Didecene, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Octyldodecyl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77891, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Seed Extract
Astringent
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Beta-Carotene, Limonene, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceThis 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 ButterDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateGlycine Soja Oil comes from the soybean. Glycine Soja is native to eastern Asia.
Soybean oil is an emollient. It is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids including palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
As an emollient, the fatty acids in soybean oil helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. It does so by creating a film on top that traps moisture in.
Soybean oil is also rich in vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. Vitamin E is also anti-inflammatory and provides a soothing effect.
Studies show soy may help fade hyperpigmentation from UVB. It does so by disrupting the melanin process from UVB induced skin inflammation.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne, safe.
Soybeans are rich in proteins and are part of the legume family. Foods made with soybeans include tofu, soymilk, edamame, miso, and soy sauce.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilHelianthus 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 OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 Water
