What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Genipa Americana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Squalane, Triolein, Musa Sapientum Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Jojoba Esters, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76, Butylene Glycol, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Genipa Americana Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Ximenia Americana Seed Oil
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Carbonate
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Carbonate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 AcidCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil is made by expressing watermelon seeds. It is a non-fragrant oil with antioxidant and hydrating properties.
Watermelon seed oil contains a high percentage of linoleic acid and other fatty acids. These fatty acids make it a great skin hydrator. This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Glycerin (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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeWater. 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
