What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Bran Extract
Abrasive
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Dihydroxymethylsilylpropoxy Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Casein
Skin ConditioningIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Maltitol
HumectantArginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Valine
MaskingAlanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Phenylalanine
Masking
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Isopentyldiol, Glycine Soja Sterols, Dihydroxymethylsilylpropoxy Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Casein, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Maltitol, Arginine, Glycine, Aspartic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Alanine, Proline, Phenylalanine, Isoleucine, Histidine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Phenyl Trimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Citric 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 AcidGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
