What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract
Humectant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Squalane, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Carbomer, Tromethamine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceramide NP, Sodium Metaphosphate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ectoin, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phytosterols, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP
Reviews
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 AlcoholWater. 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
