What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Isohexadecane
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Coco-Caprylate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is a version of ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C.
This ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
It helps with dark spot fading by interfering with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. Like other forms of vitamin C, this ingredient encourages the skin to create more collagen.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
One study found Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate to degrade in sunlight, but is stabilized when combined with acetyl zingerone.
Learn more about Ascorbyl TetraisopalmitateThis ingredient is also known as rapeseed oil. Rapeseed oil is a lightweight plant oil with a strong fatty acid profile that makes it a great skin conditioner.
It's rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid (LA), and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). Fatty acids like LA and ALA play an important role in the maintenance of skin barrier function.
They specifically help with reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and supporting the skin's lipid matrix.
Studies show people deficient in essential fatty acids are prone to dermatitis and increased TEWL.
Besides fatty acids, it also contains tocopherols and phytosterols that provide antioxidant support.
Rapeseed oil is composed mostly of C16-18 fatty acids that the Malassezia species can metabolize, making it a potential trigger for fungal acne.
Learn more about Brassica Campestris Seed OilCoco-Caprylate is a lightweight emollient made by combining coconut-derived fatty alcohols (caprylic and capric acid).
Its primary role in formulas is as a skin-softening emollient with excellent spreadability (it's considered a plant-based alternative to silicone oils like dimethicone).
This ingredient is considered safe for use and concentrations range from 0.5-62%.
Caprylic and capric fall outside the C11-24 range that Malassezia feeds on, and a 2020 study found caprylic acid disrupted Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Coco-CaprylateDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate is a plant-derived, oil-soluble emulsifier. It keeps water-in-oil emulsions stable to prevent the ingredients from separating.
On the safety front, it's considered non-irritating and well-tolerated (it can even be found in formulations for baby skin).
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because research has shown that the Malassezia species can grow in the presence of fatty acid esters with chain lengths above C12 (and this one is C18).
While it does have a comedogenic rating of 4, the comedogenic rating scale was developed from rabbit ear models which has limited clinical relevance to human skin. Studies also show that comedogenic ingredients cannot predict how the overall formula will behave on human skin.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 DiisostearateTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
