What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
EmollientSqualane
EmollientTriolein
Skin ConditioningMusa Sapientum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantCetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingJojoba Esters
EmollientSelaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentGenipa Americana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Palmitate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, 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 ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSorbitan Fatty Acid Ester
EmulsifyingCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLentinus Edodes Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Extract
AstringentAspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeParfum
MaskingTetrasodium EDTA
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
AntioxidantThioctic Acid
AntioxidantThiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantCalcium Ascorbate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Fatty Acid Ester, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, DMDM Hydantoin, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Ubiquinone, Thioctic Acid, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Calcium Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Cyanocobalamin
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 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