What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-8 Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Acetate
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Lauryl Alcohol
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Dimethyl Stearamine
EmulsifyingCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15510
Cosmetic ColorantBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PEG-8 Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Benzoic Acid, Stearalkonium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Stearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Parfum, Lauryl Alcohol, Cellulose, Dimethyl Stearamine, CI 19140, CI 15510, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isopropyl Palmitate, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateHelianthus 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 OilParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopherol (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 TocopherolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
