What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Oleate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantMagnesium Sulfate
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin, Decyl Oleate, Octyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Cetyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Urea, Glycine, Sodium PCA, Arginine Hcl, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Water, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Decylene Glycol
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dimethicone
Emollient
Methoxy PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-45/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMagnesium Sulfate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Paraffinum Liquidum, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Glycerin, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Methoxy PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, PEG-45/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, Magnesium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate
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 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 GlycerinMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfateOctyldodecanol 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.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about Urea
