What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acrylates Copolymer
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Polybutene
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningStearyl Stearate
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Deceth-6 Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Simethicone
Emollient
Laureth-30
CleansingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Sucrose Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Propanediol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Lecithin, Polybutene, Cera Microcristallina, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Oleic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Stearic Acid, Arginine, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Stearyl Stearate, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Deceth-6 Sulfosuccinate, Panthenol, Simethicone, Laureth-30, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycerin, Ceramide Ng, Acacia Senegal Gum, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77007
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingLecithin
Emollient
Propylene Carbonate
SolventSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOleic Acid
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Simethicone
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Trisodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Triethanolamine, Lecithin, Propylene Carbonate, Synthetic Wax, Ethylhexylglycerin, Oleic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Simethicone, Glycine Soja Oil, Trisodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
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 is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinOleic Acid is an Omega-9 fatty acid that can be found naturally in your skin's sebum and in many plant oils such as avocado and olive oil.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and prevent moisture loss.
Research shows:
A 1998 study did find that applying oleic acid at higher concentrations may cause irritation and disrupt the skin barrier. Modern formulations typically use low levels that is well-tolerated.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Oleic Acid, at C18, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Oleic AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSimethicone is a silicone. It is an emollient and used to reduce foaming in a product. It is also often used to coat sunscreen ingredients for better spreadability.
This ingredient is created by mixing dimethylpolysiloxane and hydrated silica.
Stearic 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
