What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCandelilla Cera
Emollient
Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Wax Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
EmollientCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
PPG-25-Laureth-25
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Simethicone
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingImidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Propylparaben
Preservative
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Glycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
Water, Candelilla Cera, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Wax Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, CI 77499, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, PPG-25-Laureth-25, Glycerin, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Steareth-21, Alcohol Denat., Acacia Senegal Gum, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Silica, Simethicone, Steareth-2, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Propylene Glycol, Mica, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Glycoproteins, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Biotin, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Perfuming
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Steareth-20
CleansingCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Simethicone
Emollient
Polyurethane-14
Amp-Acrylates Copolymer
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingIsopropyl Acetate
SolventBHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffin, Synthetic Beeswax, Steareth-20, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Alcohol Denat., Steareth-2, Glyceryl Behenate, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Jojoba Esters, Methylpropanediol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Simethicone, Polyurethane-14, Amp-Acrylates Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Isopropyl Acetate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCi 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePhenoxyethanol 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.
Simethicone is a silicone. It is an emollient and used to reduce foaming in a product. It is also often used to coat sunscreen ingredients for better spreadability.
This ingredient is created by mixing dimethylpolysiloxane and hydrated silica.
Steareth-2 is a waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients. It is created from polyethylene glycol and stearyl alcohol. The 2 stands for the number of ethylene oxide units used to create this ingredient.
Due to the low degree of ethoxylation, the molecule stays mostly oil-loving. That's why you'll often see it paired with water-loving steareth-20 or steareth-21 to create elegant emulsions.
In testing, this ingredient was nontoxic in acute oral studies and not a skin irritant or sensitizer.
You might hear concerns about 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct of ethoxylation; this is well-known in the industry and is controlled through purification steps before the ingredient is blended into finished products.
Learn more about Steareth-2Water. 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
