What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Cera Alba
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingEthylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
CI 77266
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cera Alba, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Methylparaben, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ethylparaben, Pvp, Sodium Hyaluronate, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Panthenol, Soluble Collagen, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen, CI 77266
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyurethane-35
Cera Alba
Emollient
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate
Surfactant
Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ethylene/Va Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Paraffin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyurethane-35, Cera Alba, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylene/Va Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Paraffin, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Myristic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Learn more about Cera AlbaCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer isn't fungal acne safe.
Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseParaffin is a solid wax that pulls its weight as an emollient, occlusive, and consistency-booster.
It softens skin and lays down a protective film to slow water loss and gives products a stable body and structure.
The cosmetic grade stuff is highly refined with a solid safety record. The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly reaffirmed this ingredient to be safe in current practices of use and concentration.
The worry about carcinogenic compounds only applies to industrial grades, not the purified version used in skincare.
Despite its reputation, the highly reformed form is non-comedogenic and doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
The good news for fungal-acne prone folks: the Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids and lipids and paraffin doesn't contain any of these (so there's nothing for the yeast to metabolize). This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about ParaffinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
