What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Alaria Esculenta Extract
Skin ProtectingPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Plankton Extract, Tocopherol, Limonene, Linalool, Farnesol, Geraniol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Algae Extract
EmollientLimonium Gerberi Extract
Skin ProtectingCrambe Maritima Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAster Tripolium Extract
Skin ProtectingGanoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Citrus Aurantifolia Seed Oil
Masking
Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Oil
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Silybum Marianum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Thymus Vulgaris Extract
Perfuming
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentCitrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPetroselinum Crispum Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalane, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Algae Extract, Limonium Gerberi Extract, Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract, Aster Tripolium Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia Seed Oil, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Tocopherol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Petroselinum Crispum Leaf Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
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.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit 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 OilLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
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 LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil is a lightweight oil from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree. In cosmetics, it's an emollient that forms a light film to slow water loss and soften skin.
Its fatty acid composition is dominated by oleic acid (70-78%), with smaller amounts of behenic, palmitic, and stearic acids (this profile is actually pretty similar to olive oil).
Notably, this ingredient is oxidatively stable for an oil and resists going rancid as fast as other oils.
A small, in vivo study on 32 participants found a cream with this ingredient increased skin hydration with no reported skin irritation. It also found the tocopherol content gave it some antioxidant activity as well.
One thing to flag for fungal acne:
Because this oil is so high in oleic acid, Malassezia can use it as a food source and this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
For everyone else, this ingredient is well-tolerated and nourishing with a good safety track record.
Learn more about Moringa Oleifera 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
