What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Tapioca Starch
Parfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Stearamide Amp
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Rutin
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Phaseolus Lunatus Seed Extract
EmollientAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycol Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Niacinamide, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Tapioca Starch, Parfum, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Stearamide Amp, Hydroxystearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Rutin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Phaseolus Lunatus Seed Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Farnesol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Caramel, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
C15-19 Alkane
SolventCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C15-19 Alkane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Parfum, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Benzoate, Ceteareth-12, Potassium Sorbate, Cetyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Caramel
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 TriglycerideWe don't have a description for Caramel yet.
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 StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
