What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLanolin
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Soy Polyglycerides
Skin ConditioningC15-23 Alkane
SolventDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Lanolin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Soy Polyglycerides, C15-23 Alkane, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningLanolin
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Olivate
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarrageenan
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentCitric Acid
Buffering
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Lac Powder
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Olivate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carrageenan, Glycine Soja Oil, Parfum, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Citric Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Lac Powder, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Citral
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 ButterCaprylic/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 TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearateLanolin is a waxy substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing sheep. It is an effective moisturizer that works as both a humectant and emollient.
As a humectant, it is able to absorb up to 400% of its own weight in water; this also gives it emulsifying properties as it can help stabilize water-in-oil emulsions.
On the other hand, lanolin is able to reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by about 20-30%. It can also incorporate into the lipid matrix to surround skin cells and reinforce the skin barrier.
This is why you'll see lanolin as an ingredient for heavy-duty moisturizers.
You might have seen an "allergy concern" that gives lanolin a bad reputation. The rate of lanolin contact allergy in the general population is estimated to be under 0.5%, and most of these are seen in people with compromised-skin dealing with eczema, atopic dermatitis, or leg ulcers.
Healthy, intact skin tolerates lanolin well. Even people who have previously reacted to it test negative on patch tests when the test is done on normal skin.
Because lanolin comes from an animal, it is not considered vegan. Sheep secrete lanolin through sebaceous glands to help protect their skin from the environment.
Learn more about LanolinPhenoxyethanol 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
