What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Lauroyl Lysine, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77491
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Zinc Oxide, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, CI 77891, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Gluconolactone, Isostearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCi 77491 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a red/pink hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created Ci 77491 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77491CI 77492 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It's sole purpose is to give a yellow hue to products.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Synthetically created CI 77492 is considered safer than those naturally found. This is because the synthetically created version may contain less impurities. Iron oxides are generally non-toxic and non-allergenic.
Learn more about CI 77492Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
