What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Steartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12, Cetrimonium Chloride, Steartrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citric Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantSorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningDiethyl Sebacate
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dicocodimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingSteartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Quaternium-18
Quaternium-33
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, PEG-8, Sorbitol, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Silk, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Diethyl Sebacate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Amodimethicone, Dimethiconol, Cholesterol, Dicocodimonium Chloride, Steartrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-18, Quaternium-33, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This water-soluble silicone is used for its hydrating and softening properties. It is used to add a silky feel to skincare products and has great benefits for haircare.
In haircare, this ingredient:
- Adds shine
- Protects color
- Offers thermal protection
- Boosts hair strength
- Does not build up as easily
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateCetearyl 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.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
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 EDTAPhenoxyethanol 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 GlycolSteartrimonium Chloride is a preservative.
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
