What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
Propanediol
Solvent
Gelidium Sesquipedale Extract
Skin ProtectingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialOleic Acid
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Magnesium Sulfate, Propanediol, Gelidium Sesquipedale Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tocopherol, Sodium Anisate, Oleic Acid, Bisabolol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Linolenic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tribehenin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Parfum, Glyceryl Behenate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Tribehenin, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololThis 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 ButterCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
