What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Retinol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Imidazolidinyl Urea, EDTA, Carbomer, Persea Gratissima Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tapioca Starch
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetearyl Phosphate
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Tapioca Starch, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Squalane, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide Ns, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Methicone, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetearyl Phosphate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Maltodextrin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol
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 JuiceCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolIsopropyl Myristate is an ester made by combining isopropyl alcohol with myristic acid.
It is primarily an emollient and penetration enhancer that gives products a lightweight, silky feel without the heaviness of oils.
This ingredient is generally considered non-toxic, non-irritating, and has low absorption potential.
You might have heard that this ingredient clogs pores. This reputation comes from the older rabbit ear studies which are more sensitive than human skin to clogging.
Dermatologist Dr. Zoe Draelos has also confirmed in a peer-reviewed paper that products containing comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic themselves.
A small subset of people (~2%) may experience contact sensitivity so patch testing is a reasonable idea if you have reactive skin.
Since this ingredient is an ester of myristic acid (a C14 fatty acid), it falls within the carbon chain range that is known to feed Malassezia. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl MyristatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
