What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Prunus Persica Kernel Extract
MoisturisingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Achillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Prunus Persica Kernel Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Caffeine, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Zinc Oxide, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Brassica Napus Seedcake Extract
Skin ConditioningJasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Masking
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Quartz
Abrasive
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Bentonite
Absorbent
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Glucose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Brassica Napus Seedcake Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Caffeine, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Quartz, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Arginine, Bentonite, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Esters, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arnica Montana Flower is more commonly known as Wolf's Bane. While this flower has been used in traditional medicine, its skin benefits are in question.
The FDA considers Wolf's Bane to be an unsafe herb. They advise against taking it orally or applying it to broken skin.
Wolf's Bane has been said to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, studies are conflicting about whether this is true.
According to the Final report on the safety assessment of Arnica montana, this plant has not been found to cause dermal irritation.
This flower contains numerous fatty acids such as palmitic, linoleic, myristic, and linolenic acids. The presence and amount of fatty acids depends on where the flower is harvested.
Like other flowers, this ingredient has a natural fragrance. It can also be used to mask, or cover, the unpleasant scents from other ingredients.
Learn more about Arnica Montana Flower ExtractCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateWater. 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
