What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octyldodecanol
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingCera Alba
EmollientCocoglycerides
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Pearl
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantWater
Skin ConditioningNeohesperidin Dihydrochalcone
MaskingBHT
AntioxidantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingParfum
MaskingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantHelianthus Annuus Seed Cera
EmollientOctyldodecanol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Cocoglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Mica, Persea Gratissima Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Hydrolyzed Silk, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Water, Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone, BHT, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 15850, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCera Alba
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningHydroxystearic Acid
CleansingParfum
MaskingOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningSucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate
EmollientVaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
AntioxidantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingAmmonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingEthyl Vanillin
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantPropyl Gallate
AntioxidantLimonene
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantRicinus Communis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Hydroxystearic Acid, Parfum, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Persea Gratissima Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Ethyl Vanillin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Propyl Gallate, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, CI 15985, CI 15850, CI 45410, CI 77891, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) made by combining it with palmitic acid.
It is able to blend easily into creams and oil-based formulas because it dissolves in oils rather than water.
As you may know, regular vitamin C is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and air. Ascorbyl Palmitate is more stable and degrades at a slower rate.
Research on whether it converts efficiently into active vitamin C once it's applied on your skin is still limited.
Some in-vitro studies suggest it may support collagen production, but it is not considered one of the stronger vitamin C derivatives, like:
Due to the palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Comedogenic studies have also shown this ingredient to have a rating of 2.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Learn more about Ascorbyl PalmitateBenzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Learn more about Cera AlbaCi 15850 is the pigment color red. It is an azo dye and created synthetically.
Azo dyes need to be thoroughly purified before use. This allows them to be more stable and longer-lasting.
This ingredient is common in foundations, lipsticks, and blushes. This color is described as brown/orangey red.
It has many secondary names such as Red 6 and Red 7. According to a manufacturer, Red 6 usually contains aluminum.
Learn more about CI 15850Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Parfum 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 ParfumThis 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 OilRicinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term '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.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed 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