What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Petrolatum
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Triisostearyl Citrate
EmollientC10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Tribehenin
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Triisostearyl Citrate, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Squalane, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Parfum, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Polyisobutene
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Candelilla Cera
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Ceresin
Emulsion StabilisingTribehenin
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Octyldodecanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Dimer Dilinoleate, Polyisobutene, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Candelilla Cera, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Ceresin, Tribehenin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ceramide NP, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Water, Dehydroacetic Acid
Reviews
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 ButterCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate is a plant-derived emulsifier and pigment-dispersing agent with a non-sticky skin feel.
It helps products glide on smoothly and prevents oil and water from separating in a formula, making it suitable for sunscreen and makeup formulations.
The EU inventory of cosmetics has no use restrictions on this ingredient and it is considered well-tolerated.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is derived from isostearic acid.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-2 TriisostearateThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilTocopherol 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 TocopherolTribehenin comes from glycerin and behenic acid.
It is used as an emollient, or moisturizer. Emollients form a thin barrier on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Tribehenin
