What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Oleyl Erucate
Emollient
Ceteareth-30
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Menthol
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
Astringent
Maris Aqua
HumectantWater, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Oleyl Erucate, Ceteareth-30, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Benzoic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Menthol, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Allantoin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Arginine, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Maris Aqua
Urea
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Silicon
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Triisostearoyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate
HumectantPEG-5 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Methyl Stearic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Acetate
BufferingSodium Paraben
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Urea, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Squalane, Petrolatum, Silicon, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Behenic Acid, Triisostearoyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, PEG-5 Castor Oil, Methyl Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Paraben, Sodium Hyaluronate
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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide
