What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingCocos Nucifera Water
Masking
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingIsostearyl Hydroxystearate
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-37
Polyquaternium-10
PPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Cocos Nucifera Water, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Isostearyl Hydroxystearate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Isopropyl Myristate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Panthenol, Polyquaternium-37, Polyquaternium-10, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Betainate Acetate
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientLactic Acid
Buffering
Lauramidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polyglyceryl-3 Betainate Acetate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Biotin, Ceramide NP, Phytosterols, Inositol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetyl Esters, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Lactic Acid, Lauramidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
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 AlcoholCetyl 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 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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
