What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aluminum Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Alumina
Abrasive
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zinc Oxide, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Titanium Dioxide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Alumina, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Isostearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Biosaccharide Gum-4
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Olivate
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Polyacrylate-13
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Polyisobutene
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Octocrylene, Cetearyl Olivate, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Madecassoside, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyacrylate-13, Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Polyisobutene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateWater. 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
