Herbal Essences Suavidad Y Anti-Esponjado Crema Para Peinar Versus Cantu Shea Butter Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingQuaternium-18
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePEG-2m
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientMethylparaben
PreservativeGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientOleyl Alcohol
EmollientPropylparaben
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingEDTA
Limonene
PerfumingHistidine
HumectantHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingRosa Gallica Flower Extract
AstringentWater, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Quaternium-18, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-2m, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Glyceryl Stearate, Oleyl Alcohol, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, EDTA, Limonene, Histidine, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Linalool, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyquaternium-10
Cocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningNiacin
SmoothingPantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantThiamine Hcl
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientDaucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
PerfumingMacrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
HumectantPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativePolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-11
Benzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyquaternium-39
Cetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoumarin
PerfumingSilk Amino Acids
HumectantHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Sulfite
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Parfum, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-10, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Biotin, Folic Acid, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Pyridoxine Hcl, Riboflavin, Thiamine Hcl, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Persea Gratissima Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 60, Polyquaternium-11, Benzyl Benzoate, Polyquaternium-39, Cetrimonium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coumarin, Silk Amino Acids, Hexyl Cinnamal, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Sulfite
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCetearyl 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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidHexyl Cinnamal is a fragrance ingredient with a similar scent to jasmine. It can be naturally found in chamomile essential oil.
This ingredient is a known EU allergen and may sensitize the skin. The EU requires this ingredient to be listed separately on an ingredients list.
Hexyl Cinnamal is not water soluble but is soluble in oils.
Learn more about Hexyl CinnamalParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polysorbate 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 60Stearyl 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