What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSelaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientSaccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba
UV Absorber
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Amodimethicone
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Trideceth-12, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid
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 AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil is the INCI name for castor oil.
Castor Oil helps moisturize the skin. It is rich in a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. This fatty acid helps prevent moisture loss on the skin. This helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. Ricinoleic acid also has anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties.
Besides hydrating the skin, castor oil is also used to hydrate hair. By keeping the hair shaft moisturized, breakage is decreased. More studies are needed to show castor oil's effective on stimulating hair growth.
Castor oil is created by cold-pressing castor seeds and then purifying the oil with heat. It was used in Ancient Egypt as fuel in lamps and to help treat eye irritation.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
