What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
EmollientCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
PerfumingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantGeraniol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingBakuchiol
AntimicrobialBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingParfum
MaskingHippophae Rhamnoides Oil
EmollientAlgae Extract
EmollientBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCinnamyl Alcohol
PerfumingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Bakuchiol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Parfum, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Algae Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Linalool, Geraniol, Cinnamyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil is from the seeds of the starflower plant. This plant grows primarily in Europe.
This oil does not have a scent. It contains fatty acids such as linolenic acid. These fatty acids help keep skin hydrated.
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Learn more about Borago Officinalis Seed OilCaprylic/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 TriglycerideGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolHelianthus 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 OilLinalool 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 LinaloolRosa Canina Fruit Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil that has earned its skincare reputation through chemistry.
It's dominated by fatty acids like linoleic acid (~35-55%), alpha-linolenic acid (~17-27%), and oleic acid (~14-22%). This is the exact profile that supports skin barrier, locks in hydration, and calms inflammation.
A 2024 review found evidence for the Rosa canina species supports its use for scarring, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and atopic dermatitis; this was mostly credited to its vitamin C content and fatty acid composition as the primary active mechanisms.
You might see this ingredient marketed as a "natural retinol". Some rosehip seed oils contains traces of all-trans-retinoic acid but these trace amounts are far below biologically active levels.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has deemed this ingredient safe and it's well-tolerated.
Fungal acne: The fatty acids of this oil fall into the C11-24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil