What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
C13-15 Alkane
SolventCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tromethamine
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Propanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Carbomer, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract, Myristyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ubiquinone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sclerotium Gum, Myristyl Glucoside, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Citric Acid, Linalool, Tocopherol, Glycine, Glycine Soja Oil
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 AlcoholTocopherol 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
