What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientSorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isododecane
EmollientEthylhexyl Pelargonate
EmollientCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate
Emulsifying
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Linoleate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate, Isohexadecane, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Ethylhexyl Pelargonate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Water, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Butylene Glycol, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPEG-10 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsohexadecane
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Paraffinum Liquidum, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-10 Isostearate, Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isohexadecane, Isopropyl Myristate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, BHT, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilIsohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.
Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.
Learn more about IsohexadecaneParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumJojoba 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 OilWater. 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
