What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Juice
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Diglycerin
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPunica Granatum Extract
AstringentCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Beta Vulgaris
Cosmetic ColorantArnica Montana Extract
Skin ConditioningBorago Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicSpiraea Ulmaria Extract
AstringentSambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
AstringentOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Phytate
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Juice, Octyldodecanol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Glycerin, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Diglycerin, Sclerotium Gum, Punica Granatum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Beta Vulgaris, Arnica Montana Extract, Borago Officinalis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Phytate, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Lactic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Limonene, Citral, Citronellol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Galactoarabinan
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Santalum Spicata Wood Oil
Perfuming
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Galactoarabinan, Cetyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Santalum Spicata Wood Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Anisate, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Citric 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.
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the common Marigold plant part of the Asteraceae family. This ingredient is a skin conditioner.
Marigolds contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of substances found naturally in plants. They possess antioxidant and inflammation properties.
This ingredient soothes skin inflammation by inhibiting inhibiting a part of the inflammation process.
Marigolds have been used in traditional medicine throughout Asia and Europe.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateOctyldodecanol 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.
Sclerotium Gum is a polysaccharide gum made by the fungus, Sclerotium rolfssii. It is similar to xanthan gum.
In cosmetics, Sclerotium Gum is used to thicken the texture and to help stabilize other ingredients.
As an emulsifier, Sclerotium Gum helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oil.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumSodium Anisate comes from fennel. It is used as a preservative and to add flavoring.
Sodium Anisate has antimicrobial properties.
Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
