What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Calcium Pantothenate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
C20-40 Alkyl Stearate
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
Emollient
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantMagnesium Sulfate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Octyldodecanol, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Pantolactone, Calcium Pantothenate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, C20-40 Alkyl Stearate, Cera Alba, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides
EmollientMyristic/Palmitic/Stearic/Ricinoleic/Eicosanedioic Glycerides
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Wax
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Glycerin, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Myristic/Palmitic/Stearic/Ricinoleic/Eicosanedioic Glycerides, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Squalane, Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Wax, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Dextrin Palmitate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 is a synthetic emollient that works as a lanolin substitute.
This ingredient is a great vegan option for those avoiding animal-derived ingredients.
It mostly stays on the surface of skin where it helps hydrate due to its large molecular size and low water solubility.
Due to it being derived from fatty acids, this ingredient may not be Malassezia or fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2Caprylic/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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated 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 OilThis 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 OilTocopherol 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 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
