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
Yucca Filamentosa Root Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
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, Yucca Filamentosa Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 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
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Macadamia Integrifolia/Tetraphylla Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialCymbopogon Flexuosus Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia/Tetraphylla Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lecithin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Gluconate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Citral, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinTocopherol 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 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
