What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Aroma
Hydrolyzed Theobroma Cacao Seed Meal
Skin ConditioningMentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aroma, Hydrolyzed Theobroma Cacao Seed Meal, Mentha Piperita Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Limonene, Linalool
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingRicinus Communis Seed Oil, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Mentha Piperita Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Helianthus 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 OilLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil is the oil extracted from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. This oil is non-fragrant and is an emollient. As an emollient, meadowfoam seed oil helps soften and hydrate the skin.
Meadowfoam seed oil is stable and has a long shelf life due to its chemical structure. It has the highest concentration of stable fatty-acids among plant oils, preventing it from degrading once exposed to oxygen.
Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Meadowfoam is native to California and Oregon.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilThis essential oil is steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, also known as peppermint oil. It's mainly used for scent in skincare but also provides that signature "cooling" sensation.
Peppermint oil is a "feels amazing" ingredient until it doesn't.
At higher doses or for those with sensitive skin, methol-type cooling can quickly turn into burning/irritation. It can also trigger irritant dermatitis or even allergic contact dermatitis. In a large patch-test dataset, peppermint oil had a low but positive rate for this.
In cosmetics, Cosmetic Safety Reviews (CIR) concludes that peppermint oil is safe to use when formulated to be non-sensitizing with some restrictions; for instance, pulegone, a naturally occurring component of peppermint oil, should not exceed 1%.
Since peppermint oil contains fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, and menthol, it can be sensitizing for those with rosacea, eczema, a broken skin barrier, or just sensitive skin in general.
In Japan, this ingredient is known as Hakka Yu.
Learn more about Mentha Piperita OilRicinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
