What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 40
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNylon-12
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Parfum, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 40, Carbomer, Nylon-12, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Alanine
Masking
Carnitine
Cleansing
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDimethicone
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Urea, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Lactate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ceramide NP, Lactic Acid, Arginine Hcl, Sodium PCA, Cholesterol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Alanine, Carnitine, Glycine, Sodium Chloride, Dimethicone, Tapioca Starch, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Decylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol
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 ButterCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus 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 OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
