Skin science article
First Aid Beauty After-Shower Nourishing Body Oil Versus Saltair Nourishing Body Oil
First Aid Beauty After-Shower Nourishing Body Oil Versus Saltair Nourishing Body Oil What's inside Key Ingredients No key ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Limonene Citrus Limon
First Aid Beauty After-Shower Nourishing Body Oil Versus Saltair Nourishing Body Oil
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Limonene
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Benzyl Alcohol
Citral
Citronellol
Farnesol
Geraniol
Linalool
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Citronellol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Linalool
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Parfum
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Squalane
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
Linoleic Acid
Lecithin
Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Oleic Acid
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Triolein
Tocopherol
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
Benzyl Salicylate
Hexyl Cinnamal
Coumarin
Hydroxycitronellal
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Squalane, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Plumeria Acutifolia Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Linoleic Acid, Lecithin, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triolein, Tocopherol, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Coumarin, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
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%.
Limonene 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.
Linalool 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.
This ingredient is the oil from the apricot.
Apricot Kernel Oil is an emollient and helps soften skin. This is due to its fatty acid components. Some of these fatty acids include linoleic and oleic acid.
This ingredient also has antioxidant properties from Vitamins A, C, and E. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. Besides being antioxidants, these vitamins provide plenty of skin benefits as well.