What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
Masking
Geranium Maculatum Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil
Masking
Cistus Ladaniferus Oil
Emollient
Farnesol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Squalane, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Salicylic Acid, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Limonene, Isopropyl Myristate, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Citronellol, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Linalool, Geraniol, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Cistus Ladaniferus Oil, Farnesol, Citric Acid
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 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 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 Tocopherol
