What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-12, Cetyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Althaea Officinalis Callus Culture Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Amniotic Fluid
MoisturisingPEG-20 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyacrylamide
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLaureth-7
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Gelatin
Skin ConditioningSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Embryo Extract
MoisturisingEthyl Linolenate
Emollient
Papain
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Squalane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Amniotic Fluid, PEG-20 Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, Alcohol Denat., Ethyl Oleate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Embryo Extract, Ethyl Linolenate, Papain, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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 AlcoholCetearyl Isononanoate can be bad for oily skin.
Cetyl Palmitate is a wax-like substance.
It comes from palmitic acid and palmityl alcohol. Cetyl Palmitate may not be safe for Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne.
This ingredient is naturally found in the guava fruit and stony corals.
Learn more about Cetyl PalmitateGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
