What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Water, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Triethanolamine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Betaine, Panthenol, Squalane, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
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.
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 AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
