What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Steareth-21
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Distearyldimonium Chloride
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMethylparaben
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
EDTA
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Whey Protein
Skin ConditioningWater, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Jojoba Esters, Petrolatum, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Steareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, EDTA, Ubiquinone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Potassium Hydroxide, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Whey Protein
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Methylpropanediol
SolventOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Carnitine
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Citrulline
Skin ConditioningLysine
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDimethiconol
Emollient
Glycogen
HumectantMannitol
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Threonine
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cyclomethicone, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Octyldodecanol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tapioca Starch, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Carnitine, Ceramide NP, Sodium PCA, Arginine Hcl, Serine, Alanine, Histidine, Citrulline, Lysine, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Dimethiconol, Glycogen, Mannitol, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol
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.
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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
