What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-11
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber
Skin ProtectingMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-12
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dextran
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polysilicone-11, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glycine Soja Sterols, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Panthenol, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Dextran, Tripeptide-1, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Parfum
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Salvia Hispanica Herb Oil
Perfuming
Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine
Skin ProtectingSpilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Isocetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPentasodium Pentetate
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Tocopherol, Salvia Hispanica Herb Oil, Disodium S-Phytyl Diglycoloylcysteine, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Ceramide NP, Isocetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phytosterols, Ferulic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Pentasodium Pentetate, Potassium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinTocopherol 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
