What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic Polyglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Synthetic Beeswax, Behenyl Behenate, Aroma, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientIsostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pine Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helichrysum Arenarium Extract
AntiseborrhoeicPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Morus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Tribehenin
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Water, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Sorbitan Olivate, Squalane, Jojoba Esters, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Palmitoyl Pine Bark Extract, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Helichrysum Arenarium Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Unsaponifiables, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Vanillin, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sucrose Palmitate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 is a synthetic emollient that works as a lanolin substitute.
This ingredient is a great vegan option for those avoiding animal-derived ingredients.
It mostly stays on the surface of skin where it helps hydrate due to its large molecular size and low water solubility.
Due to it being derived from fatty acids, this ingredient may not be Malassezia or fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2This 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 ButterCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilHydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilThis ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
