What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningPhosphatidylglycerol
Piper Angustifolium Extract
Skin ProtectingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Squalene
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Plankton Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Phosphatidylglycerol, Piper Angustifolium Extract, Tocopherol, Squalene, Vegetable Oil, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cera Alba
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Wax
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBassia Latifolia Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Citrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientVaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cera Alba, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Glyceryl Behenate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Wax, Tocopherol, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Bassia Latifolia Seed Butter, Glycerin, Water, Octyldodecanol, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon 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 coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilCopernicia Cerifera Wax comes from a palm tree native to Brazil; another name for this ingredient is Carnauba Wax.
This ingredient is used to thicken texture and also leaves behind a film when applied.
Fun fact: This wax has the highest melting point of all natural waxes and low solubility.
Learn more about Copernicia Cerifera WaxGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis 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 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 TocopherolEuphorbia Cerifera wax comes from a shrub in Northern Mexico. It is used to stabilize formulations and has emollient properties.
Emollients form a thin layer on top of skin to prevent water from evaporating, keeping skin and lips hydrated.
According to a manufacturer, this wax can range from a yellow/brown color to translucent.
Learn more about Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
