What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sucrose
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLimonene
Perfuming
Cinnamal
Perfuming
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantGlycine Soja Oil, Sucrose, Silica, Parfum, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Glycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Jojoba Esters, Vegetable Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Chloride, Limonene, Cinnamal, CI 15985, CI 17200, CI 19140, CI 42090
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Gigartina Skottsbergii Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Illite
Abrasive
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Sodium Olivate
CleansingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Chloride, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Gigartina Skottsbergii Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Illite, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Sodium Olivate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
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 also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilThis 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 OilSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTocopherol 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
