What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Kaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Vinegar
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Olea Europaea Fruit Extract
BleachingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Kaolin, Glycerin, Vinegar, Charcoal Powder, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearalkonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Panthenol, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Stearyl Alcohol, Thiamine Hcl, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Glycine Soja Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Stearate
Emollient
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-5 Ethylhexanoate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Steareth-20
CleansingPEG-75 Stearate
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingCeteth-20
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Decyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Stearate, Charcoal Powder, Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate, PEG-5 Ethylhexanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Stearic Acid, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Steareth-20, PEG-75 Stearate, Trideceth-9, Ceteth-20, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Limonene
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCharcoal powder comes from grounded charcoal. Charcoal can originate from peat, bamboo, coal, wood, coconut shell, or petroleum.
This ingredient has absorbent properties, making it great at absorbing oil.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term '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.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolWater. 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
