What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningSucrose Laurate
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Curcuma Longa Root Oil
Perfuming
Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil
Masking
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Cistus Ladaniferus Oil
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Water, Sucrose Laurate, Sucrose Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sorbitan Olivate, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Oil Expressed, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Cistus Ladaniferus Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral, Citronellol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningSucrose Laurate
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientVaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Nardus Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Masking
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Astringent
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Water, Sucrose Laurate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Limonene, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Levulinic Acid, Sucrose Stearate, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Linoleic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Levulinate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Parfum, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Linalool, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Geraniol, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Linolenic Acid, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideMandarin peel oil is an essential oil made by distilling the peel of mandarin oranges. It is primarily used for fragrance but has some secondary skin conditioning effects.
This ingredient is rich in limonene and is generally considered milder than some other citrus oils (like lemon or bergamot). It is not strongly phototoxic because it contains little to no furocoumarins when properly produced.
Like other essential oils, this ingredient can be a fragrance allergen.
Learn more about Citrus Nobilis Peel OilGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlycerin (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 GlycerinJojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.
Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.
It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.
Learn more about Jojoba EstersLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
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 LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil is also known as May Chang essential oil. It is mostly used as a fragrance ingredient and has a bright, sweet, and lemony scent.
The main fragrance compounds in this ingredient are citral (~70-85%) and limonene.
Citral has documented antimicrobial activity against acne bacteria (which is where the marketing claims about it being good for acne-prone skin originate), but real formulas use it at fragrance-level concentrations under 1%.
The main thing worth knowing is that citral is a known EU fragrance allergen so people with known fragrance sensitivities may want to skip it.
Unlike citrus oils, May Chang doesn't contain furocoumarins and therefore isn't phototoxic.
Learn more about Litsea Cubeba Fruit OilSucrose Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Sucrose Stearate is derived from stearic acid and sucrose (sugar). It is an emollient and emulsifier.
As an emulsifier, it prevents oils and water from separating in a product. This property also makes it a surfactant and therefore a cleansing agent.
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
