What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningMusa Sapientum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Bambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Biotin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Adansonia Digitata Oil
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateCaprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.
Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.
Learn more about Caprylhydroxamic AcidCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil is the pressed oil of the Rose Geranium plant. It is volatile, meaning it evaporates off the skin.
Fragrant components of Rose Geranium include citronellol and geraniol. These may cause allergies and skin-sensitivity. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
The scent of Rose Geranium closely resembles traditional roses.
Learn more about Pelargonium Graveolens Flower OilWater. 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 Water
