What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPassiflora Incarnata Seed Oil
Skin ProtectingTrehalose
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Seed Oil
EmollientSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
HumectantChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingPotato Starch Modified
Tocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAlbizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingDarutoside
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientTribehenin
EmollientCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingPolyglucuronic Acid
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Passiflora Incarnata Seed Oil, Trehalose, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Stearic Acid, Potato Starch Modified, Tocopheryl Acetate, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Darutoside, Lecithin, Tribehenin, Ceramide Ng, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Lactic Acid, Polyglucuronic Acid, Citric Acid, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientSqualane
EmollientPalmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract
AntioxidantOleic Acid
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTerminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLecithin
EmollientSodium Phytate
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caffeine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Triheptanoin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Squalane, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, Oleic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lecithin, Sodium Phytate
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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCoco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinWater. 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