What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Tanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBisabolol
Antioxidant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sida Cordifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Tanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Sida Cordifolia Root Extract
Reviews
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 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 OilRosa Canina Fruit Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil that has earned its skincare reputation through chemistry.
It's dominated by fatty acids like linoleic acid (~35-55%), alpha-linolenic acid (~17-27%), and oleic acid (~14-22%). This is the exact profile that supports skin barrier, locks in hydration, and calms inflammation.
A 2024 review found evidence for the Rosa canina species supports its use for scarring, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and atopic dermatitis; this was mostly credited to its vitamin C content and fatty acid composition as the primary active mechanisms.
You might see this ingredient marketed as a "natural retinol". Some rosehip seed oils contains traces of all-trans-retinoic acid but these trace amounts are far below biologically active levels.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel has deemed this ingredient safe and it's well-tolerated.
Fungal acne: The fatty acids of this oil fall into the C11-24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilJojoba 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 OilTanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil is an oil.
