What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV AbsorberC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPhenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV AbsorberButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBenzophenone-3
UV AbsorberPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
MaskingMethylparaben
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantPropylparaben
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingWater, Octocrylene, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzophenone-3, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Isopropyl Myristate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Citral
Zinc Oxide 22.75%
Cosmetic ColorantAdansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantIron Oxides
Isostearic Acid
CleansingOctyldodecanol
EmollientPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingProline
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningRice Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc Oxide 22.75%, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Iron Oxides, Isostearic Acid, Octyldodecanol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Proline, Water, Rice Amino Acids, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, 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 AlcoholDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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