What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientIsoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningAroma
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPaeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCitronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isoamyl Laurate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Sodium Levulinate, Aroma, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Cellulose, Sodium Anisate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lactic Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, CI 77491, Citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningCandelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylic Acid
CleansingXylitol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Phytic Acid
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Water, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Bakuchiol, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylic Acid, Xylitol, Tocopherol, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Oil, Linalool, Phytic Acid, Limonene, Geraniol
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 AlcoholGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlyceryl 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 StearateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
