What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCyclodextrin
AbsorbentArachidic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Xanthan Gum, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Aspergillus Ferment, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phytosterols, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cyclodextrin, Arachidic Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate/Caprate
StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate/Caprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Inulin, Fructose, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Anisate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
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 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 PanthenolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
