What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethyl Sulfone
SolventPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningMel
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Acetum
Parfum
Masking
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Dimethyl Sulfone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Piroctone Olamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Mel, Allantoin, Acetum, Parfum, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Isocetyl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientArginine
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Dimethicone
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Asparagopsis Armata Extract
Skin ProtectingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dextran
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Isocetyl Stearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Arginine, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Lactobionic Acid, Dimethicone, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Caffeine, Bisabolol, Zinc Gluconate, Sorbitol, Mannitol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, Dextran, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, CI 77288
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 AlcoholGlyceryl 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 StearateWater. 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
