What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cannabis Sativa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Viola Odorata Flower Extract
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Mannose Phosphate
HumectantMannose
HumectantTambourissa Trichophylla Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Cannabis Sativa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Retinol, Tocopherol, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Viola Odorata Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Sodium Ascorbate, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Sodium Mannose Phosphate, Mannose, Tambourissa Trichophylla Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Bixa Orellana Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Emollient
Pseudozyma Epicola/Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Malt Extract/Soybean Flour/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate
Emulsion Stabilising
Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Alaria Esculenta Extract
Skin ProtectingLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Bixa Orellana Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Retinol, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Pseudozyma Epicola/Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil Ferment Filtrate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Malt Extract/Soybean Flour/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Plankton Extract, Tocopherol, Linalool, Limonene, Farnesol, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil is the fixed oil expressed from the seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant. This is also known as hemp oil.
Hemp oil is an emollient and nourishes the skin. It contains many fatty acids such as linoleic acid, amino acids, phospholipids, and vitamin E.
The difference between hemp and cannabis is their psychoactive component. Hemp has low amounts of THC.
Learn more about Cannabis Sativa Seed OilCaprylic/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 TriglycerideOenothera Biennis Oil (aka Evening Primrose Oil) is a non-fragrant oil from the evening primrose. Like other botanical oils, it is an emollient that helps hydrate and nourish skin.
It has an interesting fatty acid profile: linoleic (70-74%) and γ-linolenic (8-10%), with some amounts ofoleic palmitic, and stearic acids.
The gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) is the headliner here; it's relatively rare in plant oils and acts as a precursor for anti-inflammatory signaling molecules in the skin.
There's a mixed body of clinical research with this ingredient as well, mostly on eczema/atopic dermatitis skin.
Some controlled trials showed improvement in inflammation, dryness, scaling, and overall severity. Other studies and large meta-analysis failed to show a significant effect; the honest takeaway here is "promising but inconsistent" rather than "miracle oil".
On the safety front, this ingredient is found to be safe as used in cosmetics and even has a history of safe food use.
Since this oil is contains oleic acid and palmitic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Oleic Acid sits at C18 and Palmitic acid sits at C16.
In vitro studies have shown that oleic acid and palmitic acid are some of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Oenothera Biennis OilRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
