What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Alaria Esculenta Extract
Skin ProtectingEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Jasminum Officinale Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Coffea Arabica Husk Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Mentha Spicata Herb Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Origanum Majorana Herb Oil
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 80, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Coffea Arabica Husk Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Triethyl Citrate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Mentha Spicata Herb Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Origanum Majorana Herb Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Allantoin, Tromethamine, Caffeine
Reviews
Alternatives
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 TriglycerideCarthamus 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 OilGlyceryl 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 StearateLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia 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 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
