What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Reticulata Peel Oil
MaskingMentha Viridis Leaf Oil
AstringentOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingFarnesol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Citronellol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Linalool
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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 TriglycerideLinalool is a small, naturally occurring scent molecule found in plants like lavender, coriander, bergamot, and more.
It is one of the two most-used fragrance ingredients in cosmetics and added purely for smell. Since it's not used for a skin benefit, there's no "effective dose". Concentration depends on the fragrance load of the product.
The EU requires it to be named on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
Fresh linalool is a weak sensitizer but air exposure turns some of it into hydroperoxides, which are strong sensitizers. Those oxidation products are the actual allergy concern.
Patch-test clinics see positive reactions to linalool hydroperoxides in about 4% to 12% of dermatitis patients depending on country and test concentration.
Resassuringly, one analytical study found hydroperoxide levels in real fragranced products to be orders of magnitude below what induced sensitization in animal studies with no evidence of oxidation building up during normal storage.
The practical takeaway is that linalool is fine for most people but worth avoiding if you have a confirmed fragrance contact allergy or a badly compromised barrier.
Products stored a long time after opening are also the high-risk scenario since that is when oxidation happens.
The scent of linalool is described as floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolThis ingredient is also known as Apricot kernel oil, and it comes form the seed kernels of apricot (a member of the Rosaceae family like almond, peach, cherry, and plum).
It's mostly made up of triglycerides: oleic acid (43.9-78.5%), linoleic acid (9.7-37%), and palmitic acid (4.9-7.3%). These numbers vary depending on the variety of Prunus and the ripeness of the fruit; oleic tends to go up at late harvest while linoleic goes down.
Vitamin E is also prevalent in this ingredient and the most dominant form is gamma-tocopherol.
These compounds give the ingredient emollient and skin conditioning properties that keep the skin soft and hydrated.
There's no regulatory maximum cap for this ingredient so you'll see it across a huge concentration range (100% as a single ingredient facial oil).
On allergies: refined cosmetic-grade oils carry almost no protein. The CIR notes that people allergic to a food generally do not react to the refined oil because the allergenic protein does not partition into it (though cold-pressed grades retain more).
However, it's worth patch testing if you have a stone fruit or tree nut allergy because manufacturer processes for removing the protein can vary.
Malassezia lacks the cytosolic fatty acid synthase gene so the yeast cannot make palmitate on its own and instead uses lipases and phospholipases to release fatty acids from host lipids. Since apricot kernel oil is entirely C16-18 (right in the usable range of C11-24), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Old rabbit-ear testing did assign this ingredient a comedogenic rating of 1-2. The original author has stated that testing on rabbit ears is not an ideal model for human comedogenicity.
Human testing has proved that any finished product with a comedogenic ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin.
Just know high-oleic oils tend to feel heavier on oily skin so it's worth patch testing.
Learn more about Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil