What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-37
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Polyquaternium-37, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Delta-Decalactone
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningYucca Schidigera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Diethyl Phthalate
Masking
Citrus Grandis Seed Extract
Astringent
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Delta-Decalactone, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Yucca Schidigera Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Potassium Sorbate, Diethyl Phthalate, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Citric Acid
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 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 GlycerinThis 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 OilWater. 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
