What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Retinyl Propionate
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Panthenyl Triacetate
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Punica Granatum Sterols
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Coconut Alkanes, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Retinyl Propionate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Panthenyl Triacetate, Hexylresorcinol, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Salicylic Acid, Punica Granatum Sterols, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Zea Mays Oil, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Parfum, Citral, Linalool, Limonene
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningHexyldecanol
Emollient
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Octyldodecanol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hexyldecanol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Stearic Acid, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil is a lightweight oil from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree. In cosmetics, it's an emollient that forms a light film to slow water loss and soften skin.
Its fatty acid composition is dominated by oleic acid (70-78%), with smaller amounts of behenic, palmitic, and stearic acids (this profile is actually pretty similar to olive oil).
Notably, this ingredient is oxidatively stable for an oil and resists going rancid as fast as other oils.
A small, in vivo study on 32 participants found a cream with this ingredient increased skin hydration with no reported skin irritation. It also found the tocopherol content gave it some antioxidant activity as well.
One thing to flag for fungal acne:
Because this oil is so high in oleic acid, Malassezia can use it as a food source and this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
For everyone else, this ingredient is well-tolerated and nourishing with a good safety track record.
Learn more about Moringa Oleifera Seed OilThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractJojoba 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.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (THD) is a stable and oil-soluble form of Vitamin C.
THD is special in that it has the ability to travel deeper into skin than traditional ascorbic acid while maintaining the same skin benefits (double win!).
Because it’s oil-soluble, THD dives deep into your skin’s fatty layers (think ceramides and cholesterol) to fight off the kind of free radicals that mess with your skin barrier. This makes it a great pair with water-based vitamin C (ascorbic acid) that mainly works on the surface.
Even at just 0.1%, THD is already showing great antioxidant activity. When used up to 2%, it helps keep your skin happy and calm, especially when it’s stressed from pollution or sun.
Want to fade dark spots or tackle hyperpigmentation? You’ll want 5% or more. Pairing it with brightening buddies like niacinamide or licorice root gives even better results. One study even used 30% THD with other brighteners and saw real results on stubborn discoloration, even in melasma-prone skin.
A note on THD: It’s has a slightly silky, oily texture and usually shows up colorless or pale yellow (though the exact shade can vary by supplier).
While you can sneak it into water-based formulas, it really shines when paired with silicones or oils, which help your skin soak it up better.
THD is pretty stable, but it’s still vulnerable to degradation like ascorbic acid. Too much light or heat (above 113°F / 45°C) can break it down over time. Go for dark and opaque packaging that keeps it safe and shady!
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Tetrahexyldecyl AscorbateTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
