What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningSqualene
EmollientPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBiphenyl Azepanyl Methanone
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil
PerfumingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Tocopherol, Phytosterols, Glycerin, Biphenyl Azepanyl Methanone, Propanediol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Pelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientJojoba Esters
EmollientLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientJojoba Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientTremella Fuciformis Extract
HumectantHydrolyzed Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Nobilis Oil
MaskingPelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil
PerfumingTocopherol
AntioxidantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSalicylic Acid
MaskingSorbic Acid
PreservativeLimonene
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Stearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Hydrolyzed Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Nobilis Oil, Pelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".
Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.
Citronellol is a modified terpene. Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants. They make up the primary part of essential oils.
Citronellol is not able to be absorbed into deeper layers of the skin. It has low permeability,
Citronellol is also a natural insect repellent.
Learn more about CitronellolGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters is an oil.
Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters is an oil.
Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolPelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil is a fragrance and is an oil.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilThis ingredient also goes by the name SSL. It is a non-toxic, biodegradable ingredient made from renewable sources.
SSL is typically used as a surfactant and emulsifier in skincare to stabilize water-based formulas and improve texture. It can be synthetic or animal-derived.
Tocopherol 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