What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsododecane
EmollientCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Hydroxy/Methoxy Amodimethicone
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Keratin
CleansingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isododecane, Caprylyl Methicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Bis-Hydroxy/Methoxy Amodimethicone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Dimethiconol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ceramide Ng, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Beta-Carotene
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialParfum
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Capsicum Annuum Extract
MaskingBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Parfum, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Limonene, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Linalool, Citronellol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Geraniol, Capsicum Annuum Extract, Beta-Carotene, Tocopherol, Glycolipids
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilBeta-Carotene is a fat-soluble carotenoid pigment. It is the thing responsible for giving carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, and other orange-yellow produce their color.
It is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals (mainly reactive oxygen species) that come at your skin from both the environment and internal processes.
When applied topically, beta-carotene accumulates in your outermost layer of skin and acts as a first-line defense against photo-oxidative stress.
Research has established that carotenoids like beta-carotene boosts your skin's innate resistance against UVB induced erythema. Please know this does not mean beta-carotene can replace your sunscreen.
Newer studies show it can also help inhibit molecular markers of oxidative stress like MMP-1 and MMP-9, enzymes that break down collagen.
In some cases, it can be used as a cosmetic colorant as well (INCI name: CI 40800).
Beta-carotene pairs well with other antioxidants like Vitamin E and Vitamin C for a synergistic effect.
Learn more about Beta-CaroteneC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
This ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
