What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Beeswax, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Beeswax, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Squalane, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Beeswax is natural wax produced by honey bees to build their honeycomb.
Because it forms a protective layer on your skin, it can help lock in moisture and reduce water loss. It is also widely used as a thickener and emulsifier in lip balms and lotions. Research suggests beeswax containing moisturizers can support skin barrier integrity.
In comedogenic testing, Beeswax scored a 0-2, which is on the low end. Whether or not a product clogs your pores really comes down to the formula as a whole (not any single ingredient on its own).
Cera Alba is the white, bleached form of this ingredient.
Just so you know, beeswax is not vegan since it is animal-derived. It cannot be removed with water, but can be taken off with an oil cleanser.
People with a known Propolis allergy also report to have reactions from beeswax.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about BeeswaxCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the common Marigold plant part of the Asteraceae family. This ingredient is a skin conditioner.
Marigolds contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of substances found naturally in plants. They possess antioxidant and inflammation properties.
This ingredient soothes skin inflammation by inhibiting inhibiting a part of the inflammation process.
Marigolds have been used in traditional medicine throughout Asia and Europe.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractCarthamus 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 OilHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract comes from the seabuckthorn berry. This berry is native to Asia and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
The seabuckthorn fruit contains carotenoids, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, Vitamin C, linoleic acid, and vitamin E.
The nutritious content of seabuckthorn fruit helps hydrate and nourish the skin. A study from 2018 found seabuckthorn may help with alleviating UV damage due to its anti-inflammatory property. However, it should not replace your sunscreen.
Due to its antioxidant properties, seabuckthorn fruit may help reduce the signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight unstable free-radical molecules, or molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Learn more about Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit ExtractThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractTocopherol 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
