What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tartaric Acid
Buffering
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Zinc PCA, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tartaric Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Dicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Trideceth-10
CleansingCoco-Betaine
Cleansing
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
PEG-100 Stearate
Coumarin
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Steareth-6
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingLinalool
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Trideceth-3
EmulsifyingSorbitol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Acetic Acid
BufferingTrisodium Hedta
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Esters, Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Isopropyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone, Sodium Citrate, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycolic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Limonene, Trideceth-10, Coco-Betaine, Cetrimonium Chloride, Hexyl Cinnamal, PEG-100 Stearate, Coumarin, Benzyl Alcohol, Steareth-6, Sodium Chloride, Linalool, Amyl Cinnamal, Trideceth-3, Sorbitol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Acetic Acid, Trisodium Hedta, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
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 AlcoholCetyl Esters is a synthetic wax made up of mostly fatty acids and fatty alcohols. It is strcturally similar to wax taken from whales.
As an emollient, it creates a thin barrier on the skin. This barrier prevents moisture from escaping.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Cetyl EstersIsopropyl Myristate is an emollient, thickening agent, and texture enhancer. It is created from isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid.
It is used to help other ingredients be better absorbed. It is also an emollient and may help soften and hydrate the skin.
The comedogenic rating of this ingredient depends on the concentration. Lower amounts results in a lower rating.
Isopropyl Myristate may not be fungal acne safe. It can potentially worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl MyristateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
