What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientParfum
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientFucus Vesiculosus Extract
EmollientWater, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Parfum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Citric Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Tocopherol
AntioxidantWater
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveSqualane
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCholesterol
EmollientCalendula Officinalis Flower
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningOleic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol, Water, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cholesterol, Calendula Officinalis Flower, Phytosphingosine, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
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 TriglycerideCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
The fatty acid content of Ethylhexyl Palmitate makes it an emollient. Emollients help soften and hydrate your skin by trapping moisture within.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is also used to help improve the texture of cosmetics. It helps other ingredient dissolve in products and help disperse ingredients more evenly.
You'll likely find this ingredient in sunscreen, as it is often used to mix UV-blocking ingredients such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl triazone.
It can also help stabilize the fragrances in a product as a fragrance fixative.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate can be used to substitute mineral oil.
Due to its high fatty acid content, it may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeHelianthus 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 OilSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol 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 Water