What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Polyisobutene
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate
EmulsifyingTridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientHydrogenated Olive Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tridecyl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyisobutene, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Jojoba Esters, Sorbitan Olivate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Tridecyl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Caprylyl Glycol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Petrolatum
Emollient
Polybutene
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Avocado Oil PEG-8 Esters
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Vanillin
Masking
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantPetrolatum, Polybutene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Avocado Oil PEG-8 Esters, Tocopherol, Squalane, Cholesterol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Vanillin, CI 77491, CI 77499, CI 77492
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 ButterTocopherol 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
