What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingEctoin
Skin ConditioningMel
EmollientPropolis Cera
AntiseborrhoeicGlycerin
HumectantXylitol
HumectantLactitol
HumectantHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialApium Graveolens Seed Extract
AntioxidantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeParfum
MaskingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ectoin, Mel, Propolis Cera, Glycerin, Xylitol, Lactitol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Tocopherol, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Apium Graveolens Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Citric Acid, Caramel, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
AntimicrobialPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantWhey
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
EmollientC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
EmollientCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Whey, Octyldodecanol, C12-16 Alcohols, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cardiospermum halicacabum extract is more commonly known as Balloon Vine Extract.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilThis ingredient is the small fraction of sunflower seed oil (~1.5-2% of the whole oil) that cannot be turned into soap.
This concentrated fraction is rich in skin-nourishing compounds like free fatty acids, tocopherols, and phytosterols. Linoleic acid makes up about 48-74% of its composition.
Unsaponifiables have high antioxidant potential due to the tocopherols, carotenoids, and phenolic acids that help protect skin from free radical damage. On the other hand, linoleic acid supports the skin's barrier by replenishing ceramides and reducing transepidermal water loss.
A manufacturer-sponsored clinical study found that a cream with 2% of this ingredient increased skin moisturization by 48.6% after 1 hour and 34.2% after 24 hours.
Using this cream twice-daily for 4 weeks showed meaningful improvement in dryness, roughness, and desquamation (the shedding of dead skin cells).
Keep in mind this is a small, industry-funded study so it'd be great to see independent replication. However, the mechanism is consistent with well-establish linoleic and phytosterol research.
While this ingredient is generally considered safe, those with an Asteraceae/Compositae plant allergy should patch test this ingredient.
Fungal acne: this ingredient is not considered safe for fungal acne because the Malassezia yeast preferentially metabolizes in the C11-24 range. Linoleic acid falls into this range at C18.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil UnsaponifiablesOctyldodecanol 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.
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil is oil from the seeds of Black Currant. A more common name for this ingredient is Black Currant Seed Oil.
Black Currant Seed Oil contains a high amount of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains linoleic acid.
Black currant berries contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Black currant berries also contain Vitamin E and fatty acids. It can help soften the skin.
Learn more about Ribes Nigrum Seed OilThis 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 TocopherolWater. 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