What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantParfum
MaskingBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Skin ConditioningCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingMentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Keratin
HumectantMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantNiacin
SmoothingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningAcetic Acid
BufferingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientTrifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantPropanediol
SolventCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientBenzoic Acid
MaskingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Parfum, Behentrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Cetrimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Yeast Extract, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Niacin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Caramel, Propanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingPectin
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingAlthaea Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAgave Americana Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCanola Oil
EmollientCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientMelia Azadirachta Seed Oil
EmollientDaucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Oil
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
PerfumingMacrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialSilk Amino Acids
HumectantBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCoumarin
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Cellulose Gum, Parfum, Pectin, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Urtica Dioica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Leaf Extract, Agave Americana Leaf Extract, Canola Oil, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Silk, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceThis 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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilThis ingredient is also known as Macadamia Seed Oil. It's an emollient with a fatty acid profile that closely mirrors the skin's own lipid makeup.
The palmitoleic acid content is especially notable as it's somewhat rare in plant oils. Palmitoleic acid is something your skin already makes naturally. It helps keep cell membranes structured and plays a role in fighting off harmful microbes.
This palmitoleic content is also part of why macademia seed oil absorbs quickly and doesn't leave much of a greasy residue.
It also contains oleic acid, linoleic acid, and phytosterols that can help reduce redness.
In vitro research has shown the oil to have meaningful antioxidant activity, protect fats in the skin from oxidative damage, and slow down the enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid.
A 2024 clinical study found it effective at improving skin hydratino and reducing wrinkle appearance when formulated into nanoemulsions.
Because it carries oleic acid (C18) and palmitic acid (C16), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the Malassezia yeast metabolizes in the C11-24 chain length range.
You'll also see this ingredient listed as: Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil .
These two oils are identical in composition and M. ternifolia is an older INCI naming convention for the edible macadamia nut while M. integrifolia is the species actually cultivated for oil production. Both names refer to the same oil.
Learn more about Macadamia Ternifolia Seed OilThough this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit).
In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.
The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid.
This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.
It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.
Due to its fatty acid content (like oleic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Mangifera Indica Seed ButterThis ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumThis 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 OilWater. 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