What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Maranta Arundinacea Root Powder
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Bicarbonate
AbrasiveTapioca Starch
Cocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingCalcium Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentStearyl Stearate
EmollientParfum
MaskingEuphorbia Cerifera Wax
C15-19 Alkane
SolventZinc Ricinoleate
Glyceryl Undecylenate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningPolyhydroxystearic Acid
EmulsifyingSorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Flower Extract
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientLavandula Hybrida Oil
EmollientOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientPelargonium Graveolens Oil
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingMaranta Arundinacea Root Powder, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Bicarbonate, Tapioca Starch, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Calcium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Stearyl Stearate, Parfum, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, C15-19 Alkane, Zinc Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Water, Rosmarinus Officinalis Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
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 ButterThis ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilWe don't have a description for Maranta Arundinacea Root Powder yet.
Sodium Bicarbonate has a more famous name: Baking soda.
In cosmetics, it is used to adjust the acidity. Due to its white crystalline solid form, it can also be an abrasive (exfoliator).
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium BicarbonateTocopherol 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