What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquicaprylate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquicaprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Water, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Parfum
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
Emollient
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
PEG-10 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Aroma
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Honey Extract
Humectant
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Synthetic Wax, PEG-10 Isostearate, Aroma, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Honey Extract, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract, Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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 TriglycerideHelianthus 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 OilMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil is a lightweight oil from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree. In cosmetics, it's an emollient that forms a light film to slow water loss and soften skin.
Its fatty acid composition is dominated by oleic acid (70-78%), with smaller amounts of behenic, palmitic, and stearic acids (this profile is actually pretty similar to olive oil).
Notably, this ingredient is oxidatively stable for an oil and resists going rancid as fast as other oils.
A small, in vivo study on 32 participants found a cream with this ingredient increased skin hydration with no reported skin irritation. It also found the tocopherol content gave it some antioxidant activity as well.
One thing to flag for fungal acne:
Because this oil is so high in oleic acid, Malassezia can use it as a food source and this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
For everyone else, this ingredient is well-tolerated and nourishing with a good safety track record.
Learn more about Moringa Oleifera Seed OilPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
