What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC15-19 Alkane
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, C15-19 Alkane, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Urea, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMoroccan Lava Clay
Abrasive
Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMenthol
Masking
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hydrated Silica, Cetearyl Alcohol, Zea Mays Starch, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Sodium Chloride, Moroccan Lava Clay, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, CI 77891, Menthol, CI 77499, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77492, Limonene
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 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 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.
Water. 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
