What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pinus Pinaster Callus Powder
Skin ConditioningPonceau Sx
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Phenoxyethanol, Pinus Pinaster Callus Powder, Ponceau Sx, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Sorbitan Stearate
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHippophae Rhamnoides Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Allantoin, 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.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 Glycerin
