What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-37
Mentha Piperita Oil
MaskingHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polyquaternium-37, Mentha Piperita Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientMaltodextrin/Vp Copolymer
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Oil
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingHydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningLimonene
PerfumingWater, Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Maltodextrin/Vp Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Panthenol, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl 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.
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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Quinoa yet.
This ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilPanthenol 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 PanthenolWater. 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