What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Silica
Abrasive
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Pectin
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carica Papaya Fruit
Skin ConditioningCeteareth-20
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Cinnamal
Perfuming
Mel
EmollientCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Eugenol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Bromelain
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil
Masking
Acetic Acid
BufferingPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
CI 75810
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Lactic Acid, Silica, Glycine Soja Oil, Pectin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carica Papaya Fruit, Ceteareth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Salicylic Acid, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Alcohol Denat., Sorbic Acid, Cinnamal, Mel, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Eugenol, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene, Linalool, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Beta-Carotene, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Bromelain, Papain, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Acetic Acid, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, CI 75810
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-20Glyceryl 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.
Water. 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
