What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodecanol
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingMyristyl Myristate
EmollientVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
EmollientVp/Eicosene Copolymer
C20-40 Alkyl Stearate
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
EmollientCera Alba
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCitral
PerfumingParfum
MaskingCera Microcristallina, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetyl Palmitate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Myristyl Myristate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, C20-40 Alkyl Stearate, Panthenol, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Cera Alba, Water, Glycerin, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Parfum
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientSynthetic Wax
AbrasivePolyisobutene
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingCera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCopernicia Cerifera Cera
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAlcohol
AntimicrobialWater
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingHydrogenated Polyisobutene, Synthetic Wax, Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Cera Microcristallina, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Alcohol, Water, Tocopherol, Parfum
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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 ButterCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCera Microcristallina, aka microcrystalline wax, is a petroleum-derived wax that helps thicken texture and stabilize the oils in formulas.
It also has mild occlusive properties that creates a film on skin to slow down water loss.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
This ingredient is refined to a cosmetic grade with high purity. It is chemically inert, stable, and doesn't clog pores (petroleum has a comedogenic rating of 0).
Malassezia feeds on fatty acids roughly in the C11-24 range and this ingredient contains none of those. Since there's no plausible food source for it here, this ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cera MicrocristallinaThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate is a plant-derived, oil-soluble emulsifier. It keeps water-in-oil emulsions stable to prevent the ingredients from separating.
On the safety front, it's considered non-irritating and well-tolerated (it can even be found in formulations for baby skin).
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because research has shown that the Malassezia species can grow in the presence of fatty acid esters with chain lengths above C12 (and this one is C18).
While it does have a comedogenic rating of 4, the comedogenic rating scale was developed from rabbit ear models which has limited clinical relevance to human skin. Studies also show that comedogenic ingredients cannot predict how the overall formula will behave on human skin.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 DiisostearateWater. 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