What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cocos Nucifera Oil 5%
Masking
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil 2%
Emollient
Malva Sylvestris Extract 0.45%
AstringentCyanocobalamin 0.07%
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningEmulsifying Wax Nf
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCocos Nucifera Oil 5%, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil 2%, Malva Sylvestris Extract 0.45%, Cyanocobalamin 0.07%, Water, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice Powder, Tocopheryl Acetate, Piroctone Olamine, Allantoin, P-Anisic Acid, Bisabolol, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Squalane
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Zinc Oxide, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Isostearate, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Piroctone Olamine, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Allantoin, P-Anisic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Hyaluronic Acid, Humulus Lupulus Extract
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinWe don't have a description for Humulus Lupulus Extract yet.
p-anisic acid is an aromatic compound that is naturally found in some plants. It is mainly used as a fragrance ingredient but also has preservative and antimicrobial properties.
The effectiveness of this ingredient as a preservative and antimicrobial depends on the pH (with more acidic being better). This is the reason you'll see this ingredient bundled with other preservatives.
Piroctone Olamine targets Malassezia, the fungus responsible for dandruff, which is why you'll find it in many anti-dandruff shampoos.
It's also water-soluble, so it blends easily into these formulas.
Jojoba 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.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
