What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bakuchiol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Heptyl Undecylenate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Balanites Roxburghii Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Heptyl Undecylenate, Squalane, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Balanites Roxburghii Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
Helianthus 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 ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoateThis 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 TocopherolTocopheryl 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
