What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Heptyl Undecylenate
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cistus Incanus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Persica Bud Extract
HumectantPrunus Cerasus Bud Extract
HumectantGynostemma Pentaphyllum Leaf/Stem Extract
Antioxidant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Rubus Idaeus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTriticum Vulgare Gluten Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Arginine
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Squalane, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Heptyl Undecylenate, Water, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Cistus Incanus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Ceramide NP, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phytosphingosine, Prunus Persica Bud Extract, Prunus Cerasus Bud Extract, Gynostemma Pentaphyllum Leaf/Stem Extract, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Rubus Idaeus Seed Extract, Triticum Vulgare Gluten Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Ubiquinone, Glutamine, Sodium Phytate, Arginine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Decyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Sodium Citrate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butoxyethanol
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Camellia Japonica Gamma-Lactone
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Simmondsia Chinensis Butter
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Melia Azadirachta Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Callus Extract
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corallina Officinalis
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlucose
Humectant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingLinalool
Perfuming
Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Propanediol, Butoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Japonica Gamma-Lactone, Cetearyl Olivate, Simmondsia Chinensis Butter, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Ceramide NP, Asiatic Acid, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract, Tocopherol, Melia Azadirachta Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Callus Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Glycerin, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Corallina Officinalis, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Glucose, C14-22 Alcohols, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Linalool, Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil, Geraniol
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 ButterCeramide 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 NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinSorbitan 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 not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateTocopherol 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 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
