What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Pyrus Malus Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Acetylated Sucrose Distearate
EmollientParfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
Masking
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Pyrus Malus Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Tribehenin, Acetylated Sucrose Distearate, Parfum, Glycerin, Panthenol, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Stearic Acid, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ceramide NP, Behenyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide Ns, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Ceramide EOP, Methylpropanediol, Fructooligosaccharides, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Ethylhexylglycerin
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
C20-40 Alkyl Stearate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantMagnesium Sulfate
Octyldodecanol, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Panthenol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Water, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bisabolol, Beeswax, C20-40 Alkyl Stearate, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinOctyldodecanol 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.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis 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 Water
