What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Cholesterol
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Petrolatum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Triethyl Citrate, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Lactate, Cholesterol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Benzoic Acid
Reviews
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.
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 AlcoholIsopropyl Myristate is an ester made by combining isopropyl alcohol with myristic acid.
It is primarily an emollient and penetration enhancer that gives products a lightweight, silky feel without the heaviness of oils.
This ingredient is generally considered non-toxic, non-irritating, and has low absorption potential.
You might have heard that this ingredient clogs pores. This reputation comes from the older rabbit ear studies which are more sensitive than human skin to clogging.
Dermatologist Dr. Zoe Draelos has also confirmed in a peer-reviewed paper that products containing comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic themselves.
A small subset of people (~2%) may experience contact sensitivity so patch testing is a reasonable idea if you have reactive skin.
Since this ingredient is an ester of myristic acid (a C14 fatty acid), it falls within the carbon chain range that is known to feed Malassezia. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl MyristatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
