What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCanola Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Stearate
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Canola Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Stearate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Inulin, Lactic Acid, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Stearic Acid, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide
EmulsifyingGlycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Lauric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Capryloyl/Caproyl Methyl Glucamide, Glycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Parfum, Sodium Chloride
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 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 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.
Stearic 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 Water
