What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Mel
EmollientTetrapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Boswellia Serrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyectoin
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingHydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Isohexadecane
EmollientPolysilicone-11
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Propanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Hexyldecanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Ceramide NP, Mel, Tetrapeptide-14, Ceramide EOP, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Ectoin, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Bisabolol, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Hydroxyectoin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Adenosine, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Stearic Acid, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-40 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Isohexadecane, Polysilicone-11, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlyceryl 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 StearateWater. 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
