What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Wax, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Oleic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPvp
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Laureth-21
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Alcohol, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Palmitic Acid, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Xanthan Gum, Pvp, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Laureth-21, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aminomethyl Propanol is used to adjust the pH of products. It is also used as a base to create other organic compounds. Having a balanced pH is important for protecting your skin.
Aminomethyl propanol is safe to use in cosmetics up to 1%. It is soluble in water.
Ci 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
This ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Glyceryl 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 StearatePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Learn more about Ricinus Communis Seed OilSodium Dehydroacetate is a synthetic preservative and sodium salt form of dehydroacetic acid. It stops bacteria, mold, and yeast from growing in your products at low concentrations.
Clinical testing found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing. It's also not significantly absorbed through skin.
There are a very small number of reported cases of contact dermatitis in cases linked to wound-care creams used over compromised skin (rather than skincare).
Overall, this is a well-studied and low-risk preservative just doing its job.
Typical concentrations run up to 0.6%, which is also the maximum amount permitted under both EU CosIng regulations and US FDA guidelines.
Learn more about Sodium DehydroacetateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
