What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Powder
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Sodium Hydroxide, Coco-Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Oryza Sativa Powder, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Benzoic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Galactoarabinan
Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Lansium Domesticum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Alanyl Glutamine
HumectantArginine
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Lysine
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Orobanche Rapum Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Brassica Alba Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOleic Acid
Emollient
Oligopeptide-177
Oligopeptide-6
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Phenylalanine
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sunflower Seed Acid
CleansingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citric Acid, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lactobacillus, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Galactoarabinan, Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract, Propanediol, Lansium Domesticum Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Glycine, Lysine, Pentylene Glycol, Phytosterols, Proline, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Orobanche Rapum Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbic Acid, Behenic Acid, Brassica Alba Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Oleic Acid, Oligopeptide-177, Oligopeptide-6, Palmitic Acid, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Sunflower Seed Acid
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.
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 AlcoholChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
