What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Amaranthus Caudatus Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Coco-Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Amaranthus Caudatus Extract, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Ozonized Jojoba Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningBrassica Alcohol
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Syzygium Luehmannii Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Kunzea Pomifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnigozanthos Flavidus Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Seed Extract
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Ozonized Jojoba Oil, Glycerin, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Water, Brassica Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Syzygium Luehmannii Fruit Extract, Kunzea Pomifera Fruit Extract, Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
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 ButterCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilThis ingredient is the oil from the apricot.
Apricot Kernel Oil is an emollient and helps soften skin. This is due to its fatty acid components. Some of these fatty acids include linoleic and oleic acid.
This ingredient also has antioxidant properties from Vitamins A, C, and E. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. Besides being antioxidants, these vitamins provide plenty of skin benefits as well.
Learn more about Prunus Armeniaca Kernel 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 TocopherolWater. 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
