What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Polybutene
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Skin ConditioningDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Methyl Hydrogenated Rosinate
Perfuming
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Pyrus Malus Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer
Abrasive
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Propylene Carbonate
SolventWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Glycerin
Humectant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Polybutene, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Diisostearyl Malate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Methyl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Ceresin, Synthetic Wax, Pyrus Malus Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylene/Propylene Copolymer, Beeswax, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopherol, Propylene Carbonate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum
Polybutene
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientDipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Malic Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polybutene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Diisostearyl Malate, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Synthetic Wax, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Silica Silylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Vanillin, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Isostearyl Alcohol, Boron Nitride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Malic Acid, Water, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Chondrus Crispus Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Citric Acid
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Diisostearyl Malate is an emollient and most often used in lip products. It comes from isostearyl alcohol, a fatty acid, and malic acid, an AHA.
As an emollient, Diisostearyl Malate helps create a thin film on your skin to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin soft and smooth.
Hydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilPolybutene is used to help control the viscosity of a product. This just means it helps adjusts the texture.
It is a polymer and does not get absorbed into the skin due to its large size.
Studies found this ingredient did not irritate skin in concentrations below 15%.
Learn more about PolybuteneThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilSynthetic Wax is a manufactured hydrocarbon wax. In formulas, it works as an occlusive emollient that helps reduce water loss and improves the spreadability of products.
Research comparing synthetic wax to traditional mineral-derived products found that formulas containing it perform as well for skin hydration.
It is considered non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.
This ingredient has a well-established safety record by the CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.
Synthetic Waxes are straight/branched-chain hydrocarbons with no ester bond or fatty acids. That means there is nothing for the Malassezia yeast to feed on.
Learn more about Synthetic WaxTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
