What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
Absorbent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Coptis Chinensis Root Extract
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFagara Zanthoxyloides Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Melia Azadirachta Leaf
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%, Allantoin, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower, Coco-Caprylate, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fagara Zanthoxyloides Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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
