What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEuphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPortulaca Grandiflora Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Glycerin, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Zea Mays Starch, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Phenethyl Alcohol, Portulaca Grandiflora Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycoproteins, Oligopeptide-2, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningEuphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicIron Oxides
Water, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Phenethyl Alcohol, Biotin, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineThis 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 ButterCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
We don't have a description for Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate yet.
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera is AKA as Candelilla wax. It is a natural emollient and helps give products a thick consistency.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia safe.
This wax comes from a shrub native to Mexico. Since it is a plant derived wax, it is considered vegan.
Learn more about Euphorbia Cerifera CeraGlycerin (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 Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.
Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.
This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Learn more about Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment FiltratePhenethyl Alcohol is a colorless and aromatic alohol. It is naturally occuring in essential oils.
The scent of this ingredient is floral and often compared to rose.
Like other alcohols, this ingredient helps prevent the growth of bacteria. However, its main purpose is to impact a fragrance.
Learn more about Phenethyl AlcoholPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate is a nonionic emulsifier and skin conditioner made from Polyglycerin-10 and Myristic Acid.
As a skin conditioning agent, this ingredient leaves skin feeling soft without a greasy finish. As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions.
You'll likely see this ingredient in "clean" formulations because it's considered a natural alternative to PEGs.
Patch testing at concentration 0.1-1% showed no reactions and this ingredient is considered to be well-tolerated across skin types.
Due to its myristic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 MyristatePolyglyceryl-6 Distearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Water. 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
