What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Menthol
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42053
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycol Stearate, PEG-10 Glyceryl Stearate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Menthol, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, CI 19140, CI 42053
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Vanillin, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol
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 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholThis extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
