What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCalamine
AbsorbentDimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Citrus Species Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Methylpropanediol
SolventLaurylpyridinium Chloride
AntimicrobialPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Water, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat., Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Calamine, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Stearate, Allantoin, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Zinc PCA, Bisabolol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Citrus Species Leaf Oil, Methylpropanediol, Laurylpyridinium Chloride, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCetearyl 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 AlcoholTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
