What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Triundecanoin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPolyacrylamide
Disodium EDTA
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Isododecane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, PEG-100 Stearate, Triundecanoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Propylene Glycol, Laureth-7, Polyacrylamide, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Coco-Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Inulin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Gluconolactone, Arginine, Tocopherol, Caffeine, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate
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 AlcoholGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeWater. 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
