What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningC15-19 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
HumectantBrassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningIsoamyl Laurate
EmollientCetyl Esters
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingMel
EmollientAspartic Acid
MaskingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingHydrolyzed Oat Protein
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingInositol
HumectantBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSucrose
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantGlucose
HumectantFructose
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingBenzoic Acid
MaskingParfum
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingWater, Cetyl Alcohol, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetyl Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Mel, Aspartic Acid, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Propolis Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Arginine, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Inositol, Benzyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sucrose, Trehalose, Glucose, Fructose, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Benzoic Acid, Parfum, Limonene, Coumarin
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantOenocarpus Bataua Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningStearalkonium Chloride
PreservativeSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingBursera Graveolens Wood Oil
MaskingHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeGlycine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Oenocarpus Bataua Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearalkonium Chloride, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Bursera Graveolens Wood Oil, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Potassium Sorbate, Glycine, Panthenol
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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water