What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sambucus Nigra Seed Oil
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Propylene Carbonate
SolventStearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingParfum
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Sambucus Nigra Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Propylene Carbonate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Parfum, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylcellulose
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Moschata Seed Oil
Emollient
Honey Extract
Humectant
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil
Skin Protecting
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAroma
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Cocoglycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Ethylcellulose, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Seed Oil, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Honey Extract, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Tocopherol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Water, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Aroma, Limonene, Linalool
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 TriglycerideThis ingredient is also known as Abyssinian Oil. It comes from the seeds of the Crambe abyssinica plant and has skin conditioning properties.
What makes this oil unique is its unusually high content of erucic acid (50-65%). The other fatty acids found in this oil are oleic acid (15%) and linoleic acid (13%).
In cosmetics, abyssinian oil acts as an emollient that forms a protective layer on skin to lock in moisture without adding a heavy, greasy feeling. It also has a silky, silicone-like slip to it and is fairly resistant to oxidation.
Due to its fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Crambe Abyssinica Seed OilHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolThis 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 ExtractTocopherol 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
