What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 3%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ptfe
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Steareth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningLaureth-7
EmulsifyingLinalool
Perfuming
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Retinyl Linoleate
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 3%, Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Ptfe, Alcohol Denat., Isopropyl Isostearate, Octyldodecanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Steareth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glycine Soja Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Laureth-7, Linalool, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylparaben, Mica, Panthenol, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Retinyl Linoleate, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
CleansingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLinolenic Acid
Cleansing
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 AlcoholPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
