What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Olivate
Lauryl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningGardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Lauryl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Parfum, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Coco-Caprylate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Jojoba Esters, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Tocopherol, Maltodextrin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateTocopherol 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
