What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Trimethyl Pentaphenyl Trisiloxane
Emollient
Diglycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Fructose
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 45410
Cosmetic Colorant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Tribehenin
Emollient
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Diisostearyl Malate, Water, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Trimethyl Pentaphenyl Trisiloxane, Diglycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Glucose, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Fructose, Fructooligosaccharides, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 17200, Polysorbate 60, CI 19140, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, CI 15985, CI 45410, 1,2-Hexanediol, CI 42090, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Tribehenin, Sucrose Palmitate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lactic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Polyisobutene
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
BHT
Antioxidant
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningStevioside
MaskingRebaudioside A
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Benzophenone-3
UV Absorber
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Aroma
Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, BHT, Propylene Carbonate, Diisostearyl Malate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Stevioside, Rebaudioside A, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Benzophenone-3, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Aroma
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Diisostearyl Malate is an emollient and most often used in lip products. It comes from isostearyl alcohol, a fatty acid, and malic acid, an AHA.
As an emollient, Diisostearyl Malate helps create a thin film on your skin to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin soft and smooth.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
In cosmetics, it plays many roles:
One thing worth noting: a controlled study found this ingredient applied under occlusion to acne-prone subjects increased microcomedones. Just keep in mind this was under occlusive conditions and don't reflect how most products are used day-to-day.
For most people, this is a well-tolerated and lightweight ingredient.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it is an ester of palmitic acid, a C16 fatty acid that falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitatePalmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.
That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.
Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.
In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.
Human clinical data is promising, but modest:
A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.
A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.
You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateTribehenin is the triglyceride of glycerin and behenic acid. It is an emollient that helps soften and condition skin.
Safety-wise, this is a well-vetted ingredient. Repeated-insult patch tests of 0.38% tribehenin did not trigger sensitization.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because behenic acid falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia yeasts can feed on.
Learn more about Tribehenin
