What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract
MaskingCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Water, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Potassium Sorbate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Citral, Limonene, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolJojoba 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.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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
