What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Tapioca Starch
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Carnitine
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin, Urea, Glyceryl Stearate, Dibutyl Adipate, Stearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Tapioca Starch, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Lactic Acid, Sodium PCA, Arginine Hcl, Glycine, Alanine, Carnitine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Potassium Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Undecane
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingCetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialEchinacea Purpurea Root Extract
MoisturisingEchinacea Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningEchinacea Purpurea Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Tridecane
Perfuming
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Glycerin, Propanediol, Potassium Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Tapioca Starch, Undecane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Lactobacillus, Parfum, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Laurate, Triethylhexanoin, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Root Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Tridecane, Glyceryl Oleate, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Farnesol, Hydroxycitronellal
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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
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 Stearyl AlcoholTapioca starch is a thickening agent and is made from the cassava root, also known as yucca.
According to a manufacturer, it is an excellent talc replacement.
It is gluten-free.
Learn more about Tapioca Starch
