What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Steareth-21
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Eryngium Maritimum Extract
TonicMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningDipsacus Sylvestris Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingFurcellaria Lumbricalis Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingArbutus Unedo Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMaris Sal
Skin ConditioningCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Niacinamide, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Parfum, Steareth-21, Caprylyl Glycol, Cellulose, Mica, CI 77891, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Eryngium Maritimum Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Dipsacus Sylvestris Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Sodium Citrate, Arbutus Unedo Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Maris Sal, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Steareth-21
CleansingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Boswellia Carterii Oil
Masking
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Steareth-21, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Glycine Soja Oil, Boswellia Carterii Oil, PEG-20 Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Cellulose Gum, Disodium EDTA, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Tropolone, Beta-Carotene, Limonene, Farnesol, Linalool
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 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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSteareth-21 is a nonionic emulsifier made by reacting stearyl alcohol with 21 units of ethylene oxide. It is mainly a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
The "21" in the name just tells you it has a longer water-loving chain. This makes it more gentle and less likely to irritate skin compared to lower-numbered steareths.
You'll most likely see it paired with steareth-2 because the two work together to create stable formulations.
1,4-dioxane is often brought up as a concern but this is usually removed through purification.
Learn more about Steareth-21Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
