What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCandida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialYeast Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Calcium Chloride
AstringentPotassium Chloride
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tromethamine
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Methicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Panthenol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, C12-16 Alcohols, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Yeast Ferment Extract, Ectoin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Squalane, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Phytosphingosine, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tromethamine, Propanediol, Palmitic Acid, Synthetic Beeswax, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum
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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
