What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Lecithin
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Squalene
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Oleth-10 Carboxylic Acid
CleansingBHA
Antioxidant
Toluene
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningEDTA
Propylene Glycol, Urea, Lecithin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Squalene, PEG-40 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Oleth-10 Carboxylic Acid, BHA, Toluene, Water, EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
C15-19 Alkane
SolventDimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOctenidine Hcl
AntimicrobialDisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propanediol, C15-19 Alkane, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Saccharide Isomerate, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Octenidine Hcl, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
