What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Shea Butter Glycerides
Emulsifying
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientPolyester-37
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disunfloweroylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Sunflower Seed Oil Glycerides
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sericin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl Lactyl Lactate
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter Glycerides, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cetyl Alcohol, Diheptyl Succinate, Polyester-37, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disunfloweroylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Sunflower Seed Oil Glycerides, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter, Cetrimonium Chloride, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Silk, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sericin, Panthenol, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Lauryl Lactyl Lactate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingAmodimethicone
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantButylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Palmitate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Dimethicone, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium PCA, Trideceth-12, Benzoic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, CI 15985, Caramel, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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 AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
