What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPolymethyl Methacrylate
Ceteareth-33
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Benzoic Acid
Masking
BHT
Antioxidant
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Oleoyl Dipeptide-15
Skin Conditioning
Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientWater, Triethylhexanoin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ceteareth-20, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Ceteareth-33, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Benzoic Acid, BHT, Caramel, Disodium EDTA, Mica, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Oleoyl Dipeptide-15, Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31, Phenoxyethanol, CI 17200, Retinal, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside
Water
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylamide
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Vp/Va Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingIsohexadecane
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Linoleate
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylamide, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Vp/Va Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycine Soja Oil, Triethanolamine, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Retinyl Linoleate, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerCetearyl 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 AlcoholPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
