What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Vaccinium Corymbosum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Vaccinium Corymbosum Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingTricaprylyl Citrate
EmollientHeptyl Undecylenate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Pentaoleate
Emulsifying
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Bran Extract
Abrasive
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Extract
EmollientCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Cinnamal
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Tricaprylyl Citrate, Heptyl Undecylenate, Propanediol, Squalane, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentaoleate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Lactic Acid, Cetrimonium Chloride, Lecithin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Linalool, Citral, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Farnesol, Cinnamal, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus 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 OilThough this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit). In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.
The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid. This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.
It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.
Due to its fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Mangifera Indica Seed ButterPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateTocopherol (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
