What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Dipeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Panthenol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ceramide NP, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glucose, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingDarutoside
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Castanea Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Physalis Angulata Extract
Skin ProtectingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Darutoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Sorbitan Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Lecithin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Phytosterols, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Propanediol, Physalis Angulata Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin
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 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 NPCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
