What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Benzoate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Vegetable Oil, Glycol Distearate, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Geraniol, Linalool
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.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin. Just know this one's based on experience and not evidence.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima 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
