What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantAcrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientZingiber Officinale Root Oil
MaskingCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentLawsonia Inermis Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingSymphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentHoney
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-2 Cocoate
EmulsifyingWater, Sorbitol, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Mentha Piperita Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Lawsonia Inermis Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Honey, Biotin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycereth-2 Cocoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Extract
AntioxidantCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearalkonium Chloride
PreservativeSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantDelta-Decalactone
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningYucca Schidigera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeDiethyl Phthalate
MaskingCitrus Grandis Seed Extract
AstringentCyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Delta-Decalactone, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Potassium Sorbate, Diethyl Phthalate, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Citric Acid
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 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 OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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