What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Honey, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Swertia Japonica Extract
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Stearalkonium Chloride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Honey, Citric Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Colloidal Oatmeal, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Swertia Japonica Extract, Stearyl Alcohol, Thiamine Hcl, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateThis 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 ButterCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholThis ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.
The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.
A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.
Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.
It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.
Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.
Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.
Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".
Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).
The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.
Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).
Learn more about Cocos Nucifera OilHoney comes from bees. It is mainly made up of the sugars fructose and glucose.
Besides sugar, honey also contains amino acids, peptides, Vitamins A, C, and E. Vitamins A, C, and E.
As a humectant, honey is great at hydrating the skin. Humectants draw moisture from the air and hold it to your skin.
Honey also has antioxidant and antioxidant properties. Fun fact: darker honey has more antioxidants than light honey.
The antibacterial property of honey may make it effective at helping to treat acne. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Many people wonder if honey is vegan. It is technically a byproduct from bees. This is because honey is created from the digestive enzymes in a bee's stomach.
Remember to be kind to bees :) They are important for many ecosystems and are endangered.
Learn more about HoneyWater. 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
