What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Talc
Abrasive
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-24
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Benzophenone-3
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Juice
EmollientGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Alumina
Abrasive
Simethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Caprylate
EmulsifyingWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Talc, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Isopropyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-24, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Benzophenone-3, Dimethicone, Ethoxydiglycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cucumis Sativus Juice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Triethanolamine, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Alumina, Simethicone, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Caprylate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 SeStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
