What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
C15-19 Alkane
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Emollient
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Opuntia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
C15-19 Alkane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Opuntia Vulgaris Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Squalane, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Propanediol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carthamus tinctorius seed oil comes from safflower, one of humanity's oldest crops.
Safflower seed oil contains a high percentage of linoleic acid and oleic acid. It also contains Vitamin E. These three components are effective moisturizers.
Vitamin E helps nourish your skin's lipid barrier. It is also a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, or unstable molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Due to its high fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Thoughout history, safflower has been used for dying fabrics and in food as a saffron substitute.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilThis ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilThis ingredient is also known as Abyssinian Oil. It comes from the seeds of the Crambe abyssinica plant and has skin conditioning properties.
What makes this oil unique is its unusually high content of erucic acid (50-65%). The other fatty acids found in this oil are oleic acid (15%) and linoleic acid (13%).
In cosmetics, abyssinian oil acts as an emollient that forms a protective layer on skin to lock in moisture without adding a heavy, greasy feeling. It also has a silky, silicone-like slip to it and is fairly resistant to oxidation.
Due to its fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Crambe Abyssinica Seed OilHelianthus 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 OilThis 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 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
