What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquioleate, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Linolenic Acid
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 TriglycerideThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilShea Butter Ethyl Esters is basically an "eco-designed" emollient ester derived from shea butter.
You can think of it like shea butter's lighter, more elegant sibling. The creating of this ingredient preserves shea butter's beneficial fatty acid profile while dramatically improving spreadability/skin feel.
This makes it a great choice for spray formulations, serums, and lightweight moisturizers where traditional shea butter would be too heavy.
It's rapidly absorbed on skin and provides an instant moisturizing effect and velvety after-feel.
These conditioning benefits trace back to shea's well-studied bioactive profile; shea is rich in antioxidants like tocopherols and contains stearic and oleic acids that support skin barrier health.
It also contains triterpene alcohols known to reduce inflammation, cinnamic acid esters with some UV-absorbing capacity, and lupeol that protects skin proteins.
Research backs up those triterpenes: a study isolating triterpene acetates and cinnamates from shea fat found all tested compounds showed anti-inflammatory activity in mice.
Fungal acne: Because this is an ethyl ester derived from shea's long-chain fatty acids (primarily stearic C18 and oleic C18), in vitro testing has shown the Malassezia species can grow in the presence of ethyl esters. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Shea Butter Ethyl EstersTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
