What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Stearate
CleansingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
PEG-20 Evening Primrose Glycerides
EmulsifyingRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arnica Montana Flower Oil
Perfuming
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Dimethyl Sulfone, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Stearate, Ascorbic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, PEG-20 Evening Primrose Glycerides, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Pantothenic Acid, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-8 Stearate
Emulsifying
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Squalane, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sucrose Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-8 Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Chlorphenesin, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Myristic Acid, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, BHT, Salicylic Acid, Citric 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.
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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlyceryl 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
