What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Salix Nigra Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Salicylic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycolic Acid, Parfum, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Brassica Napus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Carica Papaya Fruit Juice
HumectantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Juniperus Communis Fruit Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Brassica Napus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Maltodextrin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carica Papaya Fruit Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Juniperus Communis Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 Alcohol
