What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Myrica Pubescens Fruit Wax
Skin ConditioningPullulan
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingOleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Galactoarabinan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water, CI 77499, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Myrica Pubescens Fruit Wax, Pullulan, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Galactoarabinan, Xanthan Gum, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
C18-36 Acid Triglyceride
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch
Polyacrylate-21
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingVp/Eicosene Copolymer
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Kaolin
Abrasive
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Trideceth-6 Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch, Polyacrylate-21, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Kaolin, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Trideceth-6 Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, CI 77499
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
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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 AlcoholCi 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
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 GlycerinStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
