What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientOlus Oil
EmollientPolyethylene
AbrasiveSodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientBetaine
HumectantGlycol Stearate
EmollientParfum
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDextrin
AbsorbentPPG-3 Myristyl Ether
EmollientTetrasodium EDTA
Tricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningHexamidine
PreservativeDimethicone
EmollientSorbitan Laurate
EmulsifyingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingPrunus Lannesiana Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantMalic Acid
BufferingWater, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Olus Oil, Polyethylene, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Betaine, Glycol Stearate, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Paraffinum Liquidum, Sodium Hydroxide, Dextrin, PPG-3 Myristyl Ether, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Hexamidine, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Laurate, Trideceth-6, Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ascorbic Acid, Malic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingPerlite
AbsorbentStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Stearate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingSodium Oleate
CleansingParfum
MaskingSucrose
HumectantCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingSodium Isethionate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSynthetic Wax
AbrasiveSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Laurate
CleansingTetrasodium EDTA
Tetrasodium Etidronate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCoumarin
PerfumingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Perlite, Stearic Acid, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauric Acid, Sodium Oleate, Parfum, Sucrose, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sodium Isethionate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Synthetic Wax, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Laurate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coumarin, CI 77891, CI 19140, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 15985, CI 42090, CI 77499, CI 61570, CI 17200
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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 “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” 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 ParfumStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
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 Water