What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCoconut Alkanes
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientMeadowfoam Estolide
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventLinoleic Acid
CleansingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentTribehenin
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantUrea
BufferingDilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
Hydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantSodium Phytate
PEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingPalmitic Acid
EmollientLactic Acid
BufferingPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantTriacetin
AntimicrobialCastor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Sorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Alkanes, Glyceryl Stearate, Meadowfoam Estolide, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Triheptanoin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Methylpropanediol, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Phytosterols, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Sodium PCA, Urea, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Hydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Ceramide Ng, Trehalose, Sodium Phytate, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Hexylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Lactic Acid, Polyquaternium-51, Tocopherol, Triacetin, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientEctoin
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantTriacetin
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Lactate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ectoin, Urea, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Triacetin, Panthenol, Lecithin, Allantoin, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Lactate, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 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 GlycerinTriacetin comes from glycerin and acetic acid. It has antimicrobial properties.
Due to its ability to kill off microorganisms, it can help reduce odor caused by bacteria. Hence, it is a masking ingredient.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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