What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Lemongrass Oil
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Persea Gratissima Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 StearateThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilThis ingredient is also known as sweet almond oil. It is a lightweight, cold-pressed oil from the ripe seeds of the sweet almond tree.
Sweet almond oil is rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids such as oleic acid (55-86%) and linolenic acid (7-35%).
As an emollient, it softens and hydrates skin by forming a thin barrier that locks in moisture.
Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the available safety data and concluded it is safe for topical use.
Because of the oleic acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilTocopherol 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 TocopherolWater. 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
