What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-11
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-7
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-4
Corn Starch Modified
AbsorbentPolyquaternium-37
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Polyquaternium-11, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-4, Corn Starch Modified, Polyquaternium-37, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearalkonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Corn Starch Modified
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Sulfate
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPolyquaternium-55
Polyquaternium-10
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Tetrasodium EDTA
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingCoumarin
Perfuming
Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Keratin Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Prunus Serotina Bark Extract
MaskingHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialCymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Corn Starch Modified, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Ceteareth-20, Polyquaternium-55, Polyquaternium-10, Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Parfum, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pvp, Benzyl Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Coumarin, Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Keratin Amino Acids, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Prunus Serotina Bark Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Acyl Coenzyme A Desaturase, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Cetyl 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.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholWe don't have a description for Corn Starch Modified yet.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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
