What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ammonia
Buffering
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Cholesterol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Octadecyl Di-T-Butyl-4-Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycolic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Dimethicone, Ammonia, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cholesterol, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Octadecyl Di-T-Butyl-4-Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingDipotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, Mandelic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Tocopherol, Ceteareth-12, Lecithin, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Disodium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide
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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeWater. 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
