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
Isohexadecane
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract
MaskingAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract
HumectantPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Magnesium Nitrate
Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl Pg-Propyl Dimethicone
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Glycolate
BufferingMethylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Magnesium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isohexadecane, Isododecane, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Magnesium Nitrate, Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl Pg-Propyl Dimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Sodium Glycolate, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Limonene, CI 42090, CI 19140
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 AlcoholWater. 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
