What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Citric Acid
Buffering
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Piroctone Olamine, Allantoin, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Climbazole
Antimicrobial
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Piroctone Olamine, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Climbazole, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Fructooligosaccharides, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
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 TriglycerideCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholPiroctone Olamine is a synthetic antifungal and preservative ingredient.
Its main job is to keep the yeast, Malassezia, in check; this yeast is linked to dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and fungal acne (a.k.a. Malassezia folliculitis).
The way it works is pretty neat:
It slips into the fungal cell and grabs onto iron ions that the yeast needs for its energy metabolism; this basically starves it out. But the full mechanism isn't 100% pinned down and some research also points it to interfering with ergosterol (a building block of the fungal cell membrane).
Besides antifungal action, it also has mild anti-inflammatory and soothing effects to help calm itchiness in the scalp.
Typical usage concentrations are low. The EU permits it to be a preservative up to 1% in rinse-off products and 0.5% in leave-on products.
Though it's generally well-tolerated, a small number of people may notice itching or irritation (as with any active).
Learn more about Piroctone OlamineWater. 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
