What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Rice Branate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Eicosanedioate/Tetradecanedioate
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Rice Branate, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Eicosanedioate/Tetradecanedioate, Betaine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyglutamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Lunaria Annua Seed Oil
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Squalane
Emollient
Cichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Lunaria Annua Seed Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideCoco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CapratePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed 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
