
Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
Matte balancing moisturizer with plant-based ingredients
FEATURES
Creates matte effect, Increases moisture levels, Enhances skin barrier function, Soft-touch finish
BEST FOR
oily
CHECKS
Plant-based formula
Who Is It For?
Adults With Oily SkinWhat Does It Help With?
Oil Control Moisture Balance Skin Barrier FunctionBudget
Mid-range ($30-$75)How To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What Grown Alchemist Says
Product Description:
A matte-effect moisturizer with Acai-Berry, Borago, and Vitamin E that creates a soft-touch finish while increasing moisture levels and enhancing skin barrier function
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
Water/Aqua/Eau, Camellia Kissi Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Heptyl Undecylenate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Tapioca Starch, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Linalool.
Key Ingredients
Tapioca, Acai Berry, Rosehip Oil
Ingredients Details
Butylene Glycol
Common Name(s): 1,3-butanediol,bg,1,3-butylene glycol
CAS Number: 107-88-0
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides humectant hydration and active ingredient solubilization with excellent skin feel.
Why It's Used: Preferred glycol humectant in premium and k-beauty formulations for superior skin feel vs propylene glycol with equivalent functionality.
How It Works: Two hydroxyl groups at 1,3-positions provide water binding and solvent activity. better tolerated than propylene glycol with minimal sensitization risk. 4-carbon backbone provides slightly greater hydrophobic character enabling dissolution of less polar actives vs pg.
Typically Found In: Toners,essences,serums,k-beauty formulas
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ glycol humectant
Secondary Functions: Tewl reduction,skin plumping
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%โ10%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Synthetic or naturally derived. excellent aqueous solubility.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; suitable for all skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Ceramides,emollients,occlusives,glycerin,hyaluronic acid
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
K-beauty's preference for butylene glycol over propylene glycol is driven by two factors: bg's superior skin feel (less tacky than pg's higher viscosity) and its lower sensitization potential (1,3-bg has better spatial distribution of hydroxyl groups that reduces protein interaction vs pg's 1,2-position oh groups).
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Camellia Kissi Seed Oil
Common Name(s): Camellia kissi seed oil
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Nourishes and softens skin through its balanced fatty acid profile, while antioxidant compounds protect against oxidative skin damage.
Why It's Used: Plant oils provide physiologically compatible lipid structures that integrate into the skin barrier and deliver fat-soluble antioxidants directly to skin cells.
How It Works: Fatty acids integrate into stratum corneum lipid lamellae, reinforcing the lipid barrier. antioxidants (tocopherols, carotenoids, polyphenols) neutralize ros through electron donation or singlet oxygen quenching.
Typically Found In: Face oils,serums,moisturizers,hair treatments,body oils
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Plant oils
Secondary Functions: Emollient,antioxidant
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.5โ30%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Cold-pressed or solvent-extracted plant oil; no animal components.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1
Comedogenicity Rating: 2
Sensitivity Concerns: Low sensitization potential at recommended use concentrations.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Well-characterized cosmetic ingredient with established safety profile. generally non-irritating at typical use concentrations. suitable for leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics.
Works Well With: Vitamin e,ceramides,other plant oils,squalane
Avoid Combining With: Strong oxidizers (accelerate rancidity)
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Vegetable oils are triglyceride matrices where the fatty acid composition determines skin compatibility, barrier function, and comedogenicity. oleic acid-rich oils (>60%) soften barrier lipids and enhance penetration; linoleic acid-rich oils reinforce ceramide-poor stratum corneum; saturated fatty acid-rich oils provide occlusion without skin penetration.
Last Verified: Cosing eu database; pcpc cosmetic ingredient safety reviews; aocs plant oil composition databases; fatty acid pharmacology reviews
Primary Sources: 2025-01-15
Cetearyl Olivate
Common Name(s): Nonionic emulsifier,o/w surfactant,emulsion stabiliser
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Stabilises o/w emulsions by forming a molecular monolayer at the oil-water interface, provides co-emulsification synergy with other emulsifiers, and contributes to emulsion texture through interfacial film properties.
Why It's Used: Nonionic emulsifiers are preferred for sensitive skin and ph-extreme formulations โ no ionic charge means no electrostatic interaction with skin proteins, no ph-dependent function loss, and compatibility with both anionic and cationic co-ingredients.
How It Works: Hlb determines emulsion type: hlb 8โ12 for o/w emulsification; hlb 3โ6 for w/o. the peg or glycoside head group provides hydrophilicity while the c16โc18 fatty chain provides lipophilicity. at the o/w interface, nonionic emulsifiers form a mixed monolayer reducing interfacial tension from ~35 mn/m (clean oil-water) to 5โ10 mn/m, providing thermodynamic stabilisation.
Typically Found In: Creams,lotions,o/w emulsions
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ cosmetic active
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%โ10%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Conditional
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Mixed emulsifier systems (e.g., glyceryl stearate + peg-100 stearate, or cetearyl glucoside + cetearyl alcohol) provide better emulsion stability than single emulsifiers โ synergistic packing of different molecular geometries creates a more cohesive, mechanically robust interfacial film.
Last Verified: Cosing database,nonionic emulsifier hlb system review
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Cetyl Alcohol
Common Name(s): 1-hexadecanol,palmityl alcohol,n-cetyl alcohol
CAS Number: 36653-82-4
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides c16 fatty alcohol emolliency and thickening for well-textured cosmetic emulsions.
Why It's Used: Lighter-textured fatty alcohol alternative to stearyl alcohol for creams and conditioners requiring less heavy emolliency.
How It Works: C16 chain length provides slightly lower melting point (49ยฐc) than stearyl (60ยฐc) giving softer, lighter emulsion texture. forms lamellar networks for thickening and stability. direct skin and hair conditioning via fatty alcohol film.
Typically Found In: Creams,hair conditioners,lotions
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ fatty alcohol
Secondary Functions: Barrier sealing,softening
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%โ15%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ from vegetable or coconut/palm fatty acids
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Plant-derived, synthetic or animal-derived. verify source.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 1/5 โ low; formulation-dependent
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Humectants,ceramides,actives as carrier
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Cetyl alcohol's c16 chain length is at the approximate thermal transition point for fatty alcohol lamellar crystallization at skin temperature (33ยฐc). this transition (from ordered crystalline to disordered liquid phase near skin temperature) provides the characteristic 'melts on application' sensory profile that makes cetyl alcohol-containing products feel cooling and light on initial application.
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12