What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCanola Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Water, Canola Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Zinc Sulfate, Tocopherol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Magnesium Stearate, Parfum, P-Anisic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Magnesium Sulfate
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCopper Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Zinc Oxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol
Reviews
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 a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Tocopherol 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 WaterZinc Sulfate has antimicrobial and astringent properties. It is created synthetically from zinc and sulfuric acid.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, zinc sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties.
