What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Astringent
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Propylheptyl Caprylate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Decapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Oleate
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCellulose Acetate Butyrate
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chitosan
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Propylheptyl Caprylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Soja Oil, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Decapeptide-4, Sodium Oleate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chitosan, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Bisabolol, Ceramide NP, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlyceryl 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Tetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
