What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Steareth-21
Cleansing4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEDTA
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gluconolactone, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Hydroxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polysorbate 60, Steareth-21, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan Gum, EDTA, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, C15-19 Alkane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Ubiquinone, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Stearate, Cera Microcristallina, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Parfum
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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
