What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Corn Glycerides
EmulsifyingSorbitol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Sodium Gluconate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Corn Glycerides, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningDodecane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyacrylic Acid
Emulsion StabilisingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Xylityl Sesquicaprylate
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Amylopectin
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningEuphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Dodecane, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Triethanolamine, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyacrylic Acid, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Stearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Xylityl Sesquicaprylate, Parfum, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Tocopherol, Amylopectin, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Lactic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl Olivate is an emulsifier and texture enhancer. It is derived from the fatty acids of olive oil and Cetearyl alcohol, and is biodegradable.
As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent oils and waters from separating. It can also
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Sorbitan Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may feed that yeast, so it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateGlycerin (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 OilThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may feed that yeast, so it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateWater. 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
