What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Petrolatum
Emollient
Lanolin
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Mel
EmollientIsohexadecane
EmollientHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingButylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Potassium Carbonate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPetrolatum, Lanolin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cera Alba, Ozokerite, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mel, Isohexadecane, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Tripeptide-1, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Cera Microcristallina, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Potassium Carbonate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
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 ButterThis ingredient is a fatty-acid ester commonly used in makeup. It is use an emollient and emulsifier, and insoluble in water.
According to a manufacturer, it is a waxy solid and prevents other waxes from crystallizing.
It is created from stearic acid.
Learn more about C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl 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 LanolinOzokerite is a naturally occuring mineral wax. In cosmetics, ozokerite is used as a texture enhancer.
Ceresin wax is derived from this ingredient.
The melting point of ozokerite is 58-100 C.
Ozokerite is found all over the world including Scotland, the US, and India.
Learn more about OzokeriteThis 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 OilThis ingredient is a modified version of natural beeswax where the free fatty acids have been swapped for polyglycerol esters to make it more hydrophilic (water-loving).
It mainly works as an emulsifier to help oil and water stay mixed in a formula. You'll also see it in stick formulas because it also thickens and stabilizes oils to prevent the oils from bleeding.
Emulsifiers like this tend to be well tolerated unless you have a known bee-product allergy. Due to this ingredient being an ester of beeswax fatty acids, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 BeeswaxTheobroma 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 ButterTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
