What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Glucose
Humectant
Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Clementina Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Sinensis Peel Extract
Perfuming
Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLitchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Mangifera Indica Juice
Skin ConditioningPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Bark Extract
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingDextran
Water, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cetyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyglutamic Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Glucose, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Citrus Clementina Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Sinensis Peel Extract, Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Juice, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Bark Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Sodium Carbonate, Dextran
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
