What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAngelica Archangelica Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Straw Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit
Abrasive
Aronia Arbutifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Decene
SolventCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Caprylic Acid
CleansingGlycine
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Calcium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Water, Angelica Archangelica Extract, Avena Sativa Straw Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit, Aronia Arbutifolia Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Decene, Coco-Glucoside, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Xanthan Gum, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Caprylic Acid, Glycine, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Sorbitol, Calcium Ascorbate, Diazolidinyl Urea
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Oleate
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingSolidago Virgaurea Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Punica Granatum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Santalum Spicata Wood Oil
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Octyldodecyl Oleate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Alcohol, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Solidago Virgaurea Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Arginine, Sodium Phytate, Punica Granatum Seed Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Santalum Spicata Wood Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Water
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHelianthus 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 OilWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
