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
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientJojoba Esters
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Geranium Maculatum Oil
Masking
Prunus Insititia Seed Oil
Emollient
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Jojoba Esters, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Prunus Insititia Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Beta-Carotene
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 TriglycerideGeranium Maculatum Oil is an oil.
Glycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilThis 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 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
