What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Oil
Emollient
Santalum Spicata Wood Oil
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Boswellia Serrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Oil, Santalum Spicata Wood Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Tocopherol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Coumarin, Farnesol
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 ExtractThis 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 ButterCera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Learn more about Cera AlbaHelianthus 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 OilLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilTocopherol 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
