What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningSteareth-21
CleansingNiacinamide
SmoothingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Ceteareth-25
Cleansing3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningBehenic Acid
CleansingWater, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Gluconolactone, Steareth-21, Niacinamide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ns, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Ceramide EOP, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ceramide Eos, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceramide AP, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Ceteareth-25, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Behenic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingJojoba Esters
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientSteareth-21
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDistearyldimonium Chloride
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientSilk Amino Acids
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningAcacia Farnesiana Flower Extract
PerfumingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethiconol
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPropylene Glycol
HumectantStearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Polysorbate 60
EmulsifyingEDTA
Methylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientTribehenin
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Dimethicone, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Jojoba Esters, Petrolatum, Steareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Silk Amino Acids, Panthenol, Ceramide Ng, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Acacia Farnesiana Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propylene Glycol, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, EDTA, Methylparaben, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Isopropyl Myristate, Tribehenin
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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Steareth-21 is a nonionic emulsifier made by reacting stearyl alcohol with 21 units of ethylene oxide. It is mainly a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
The "21" in the name just tells you it has a longer water-loving chain. This makes it more gentle and less likely to irritate skin compared to lower-numbered steareths.
You'll most likely see it paired with steareth-2 because the two work together to create stable formulations.
1,4-dioxane is often brought up as a concern but this is usually removed through purification.
Learn more about Steareth-21Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl 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