What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pantolactone
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningMel
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Acetum
Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Piroctone Olamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Mel, Allantoin, Acetum, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus Extract
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 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
