What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Sinensis Fiber
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Extract
CleansingRice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicNiacinamide
Smoothing
Panax Ginseng Extract
Antioxidant
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Citrata Herb Oil
Perfuming
Lonicera Caprifolium Extract
AstringentAcetum
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Persea Gratissima Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Sinensis Fiber, Cetearyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caffeine, Mentha Piperita Extract, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Biotin, Niacinamide, Panax Ginseng Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower, Mentha Citrata Herb Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Acetum, Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPassiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Oenocarpus Bataua Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycine
Buffering
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Kaolin
Abrasive
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Quinoa Protein
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAroma
Sucrose
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Nardus Oil
Masking
Water, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Oenocarpus Bataua Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearalkonium Chloride, Glycine, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Kaolin, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Quinoa Protein, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Aroma, Sucrose, Potassium Sorbate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 Glycerin
