What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCandida/Garcinia Cambogia Ferment
Ceramide NP
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Behenyl Alcohol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Candida/Garcinia Cambogia Ferment, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Allantoin, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
AbsorbentPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantGalactoarabinan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Galactoarabinan, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
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 ButterCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum