What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
C13-15 Alkane
SolventDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Alaria Esculenta Extract
Skin ProtectingUbiquinone
Antioxidant
7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Glucoside
CleansingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Olus Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Rosa Damascena Extract
MaskingC13-15 Alkane, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Octyldodecanol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Ubiquinone, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Coco-Glucoside, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olus Oil, Lecithin, Glycerin, Water, Sodium Benzoate, Rosa Damascena Extract
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane, Isostearyl Isostearate, Octyldodecanol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Lecithin, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cardiospermum halicacabum extract is more commonly known as Balloon Vine Extract.
Balloon Vine Extract helps soothe skin and is an antioxidant. It also contains many fatty acids, such as palmitic, oleic, and stearic acids. While these fatty acids help soften skin, they may not be fungal-friendly.
Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Balloon Vine has been used in traditional medicine in many Asian cultures.
Learn more about Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine ExtractDimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent and helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from sorbitol.
As a solvent, dimethyl isosorbide helps dissolve other ingredients. This helps ensure even distribution of an ingredient. It may also be used to decrease the thickness of a product.
Studies show dimethyl isosorbide is able to penetrate skin to deliver other ingredients into the skin, making them more effective.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideEchium Plantagineum Seed Oil is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is the oil derived from the seeds of a Sunflower. Sunflower seed oil is non-fragrant. It is an emollient, meaning it helps to soften the skin.
Sunflower seed oil contains many fatty acids. The fatty acids found in sunflower seeds include (from highest amount to least): linoleic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, and linolenic acid.
These fatty acids help the skin create ceramides. Ceramides play a role in repairing the skin barrier.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil helps moisturize the skin. This in turn helps the skin look more rejuvenated and smoother.
Sunflowers are rich in vitamin E.
Historians believe Indigenous cultures of North America domesticated sunflowers before corn. Thus they relied on sunflower oil for a variety of uses. One such use is moisturizing skin and hair.
Sunflower seed oil may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.
This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.
As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.
This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Some other names for this ingredient include soy lecithin and deoiled soy lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol. It is primarily used to enhance the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, Octyldodecanol helps prevent the oils and waters from separating. It also prevents ingredients from creating foam when shaken.
Octyldodecanol is created by reducing fatty acid to an alcohol.
Due to its high molecular weight, it does not get absorbed into the skin.
Learn more about OctyldodecanolTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about Tocopherol
