What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Marmot Oil
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil
Perfuming
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Marmot Oil, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil, Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingOpuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Protein, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Parfum, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol
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 prickly pear seed oil (PPSO); it's one of the more nutritionally dense plant oils you can find in cosmetics.
Its fatty acid profile is dominated by linoleic acid (57-65%), followed by oleic (16-22%), and palmitic (12-16%).
That high linoleic acid content is a big deal for skin. Linoleic acid is a key component of the skin's own lipid barrier and this combination is associated with improved skin hydration + barrier repair.
PPSO also contains some phytosterols and is exceptionally rich in tocopherols (vitamin E). The phytosterols contribute to anti-inflammatory activity and the tocopherols provide meaningful antioxidant protection.
Animal studies have shown that topical application of PPSO reduced edema formation and inflammatory cell infiltration; this supports its traditional use for wound healing and skin inflammation.
In vitro studies, preclinical, and clinical evidence all point to a very low toxicity profile for this ingredient.
Typical use levels range from 1-100% :
Fungal acne: The Malassezia species can metabolize fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-24. Linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acid fall into this range, making PPSO not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed OilThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolVitis Vinifera Seed Oil comes from the grape vine. Grape seeds are a byproduct of creating grape juice or wine.
The components of grape seeds have many skin benefits. Research has found it to be antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It also contains many potent antioxidants such as Vitamin E , Vitamin C, proanthocyanidins, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Proanthocyanidin has been shown to help even out skin tone.
Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals by donating extra electrons. Grape seed extract may help reduce the signs of aging.
The antimicrobial properties of grape seed may help treat acne. However, more research is needed to support this claim.
Grape seed has also been found to help absorb UV rays. Grape seed extract should not replace your sunscreen.
The fatty acids of grape seed oil give it emollient properties. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin by creating a film. This film traps moisture within, keeping your skin hydrated.
Learn more about Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
