What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Ceramide AP, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, P-Anisic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hyaluronic Acid, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Humulus Lupulus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Tocopherol, Piroctone Olamine, Allantoin, P-Anisic Acid, Coco-Caprylate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Parfum, Humulus Lupulus Extract
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 AlcoholWe don't have a description for Humulus Lupulus Extract yet.
p-anisic acid is an aromatic compound that is naturally found in some plants. It is mainly used as a fragrance ingredient but also has preservative and antimicrobial properties.
The effectiveness of this ingredient as a preservative and antimicrobial depends on the pH (with more acidic being better). This is the reason you'll see this ingredient bundled with other preservatives.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
