What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientTapioca Starch
Glycerin
Humectant
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Tapioca Starch, Glycerin, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Dimethicone, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingMethylpropanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyether-1
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Zinc Oxide, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Niacinamide, Caprylyl Methicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Methylpropanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Polyether-1, T-Butyl Alcohol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCetearyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateWater. 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
