What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triacetin
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethicone, Triacetin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Glycosphingolipids, Citric Acid, Glycolipids
Reviews
Alternatives
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 AlcoholCitric 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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeWater. 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
