What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantTetrasodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Rosa Canina Seed Extract
EmollientC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFusanus Spicatus Wood Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Ormenis Multicaulis Oil
Masking
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Shorea Robusta Resin
TonicSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Farnesol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Rosa Canina Seed Extract, C12-16 Alcohols, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Palmitic Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Xanthan Gum, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Ormenis Multicaulis Oil, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Shorea Robusta Resin, Sodium Gluconate, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Farnesol, Linalool, Limonene
Reviews
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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
