What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
CleansingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Calanthe Discolor Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentHydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Citrus Grandis Peel Extract
Astringent
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract
Cleansing
Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Bud Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Sclarea Extract
AntiseborrhoeicSalicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientArginine
Masking
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLysolecithin
EmulsifyingSilica
Abrasive
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPullulan
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Calanthe Discolor Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Bud Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Astaxanthin, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Arginine, Levulinic Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Lysolecithin, Silica, Sodium Levulinate, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Beta-Sitosterol, Calcium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Gluconolactone, Squalene, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Solvent3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Krameria Triandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chloroxylenol
Antimicrobial
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Glycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Krameria Triandra Root Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hexapeptide-11, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Jojoba Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Chloroxylenol, CI 42090, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneWater. 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
