What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialNiacinamide
Smoothing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Oryza Sativa Powder
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Glycine
Buffering
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Oryza Sativa Powder, Zinc PCA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Polyglycerin-6, Azelaic Acid, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glycine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Ceteareth-12, Cetyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventBetaine
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Calamine
AbsorbentDimethicone
Emollient
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventAsiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethyl Sulfone, Betaine, Polysorbate 60, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Calamine, Dimethicone, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Ethyl Hexanediol, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
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.
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 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 Glycerin
