What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyquaternium-37
PPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningSteareth-2
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Glucose, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyquaternium-37, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Steareth-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Chlorphenesin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985, CI 19140, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba
UV Absorber
Amodimethicone
Polyquaternium-37
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Silicone Quaternium-18
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba, Amodimethicone, Polyquaternium-37, Diazolidinyl Urea, Silicone Quaternium-18, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Trideceth-12, Trideceth-6, Cetrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Elastin, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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.
We don't have a description for Polyquaternium-37 yet.
We don't have a description for PPG-1 Trideceth-6 yet.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolThis ingredient is an emollient designed to leave a non-greasy feel. It is also a skin conditioning agent and viscosity modifier.
Skin irritation studies for this ingredient (up to 80%) showed mimimal to no irritation.
One thing worth knowing: this ingredient may enhance the skin penetration of other ingredients.
Overall, this ingredient is a well-tolerated and lightweight emollient.
Learn more about Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/DicaprateWater. 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
