What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Galactoarabinan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Galactoarabinan, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
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 AcidThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateWater. 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
