Conditioner
Conditioner
American United States
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Stearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Sulfate Icon

Cetearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 1 Fatty Alcohol IconCoconut Derived IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cetyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol IconCoconut Derived IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Cetrimonium Chloride

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Masking
Oil IconEssential Oil IconEU Allergen Icon

Parfum

Masking
Synthetic Fragrance IconFragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Quaternium-91

Isopropyl Alcohol

Solvent
0 / 0 Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Masking
4 / 0 Oil IconCoconut Derived IconFragrance IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydroxypropyl Guar

Emulsion Stabilising

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Skin Conditioning
3 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Emollient
2-3 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone

Silicon IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cetrimonium Methosulfate

Antimicrobial

Hydroxyacetophenone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Galactoarabinan

Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

C11-15 Pareth-7

Emulsifying

Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract

Emollient

Chlorphenesin

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Trehalose

Humectant
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Xylitol

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Skin Conditioning

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

C12-16 Pareth-9

Emulsifying

Trideceth-12

Emulsifying

Sodium Phosphate

Buffering

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cereus Grandiflorus Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract

Humectant

Phalaenopsis Amabilis Flower Extract

Bleaching

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.

Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.

Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.

Learn more about Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

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 Alcohol
Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is also known as coconut oil. It is a plant-derived ingredient with skin conditioning properties.

The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is mostly lauric acid (~54%), followed by capric, caprylic, palmitic, and myristic acids. This profile allows it to penetrate easily into skin, moisturize, and improve dry skin.

A double-blind study confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective as mineral oil for treating very dry skin. Another study found it outperformed mineral oil for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in children.

Another study from 2018 found that virgin coconut oil can soothe inflammation and boost key skin barrier proteins. Just know this evidence is still only from lab settings and not human trials.

It has also been shown to reduce Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that commonly overgrows in people with eczema.

Clinical testing shows very minimal skin irritation and no evidence of sensitization or phototoxicity.

Coconut oil gets flagged as a "fragrance" because it has a natural mild scent (not because it's a synthetic perfume). The European Cosmetic ingredient database also lists "perfuming" as a function of this ingredient.

Just so you know, the term "fragrance" is completely unregulated. Some brands still use botanical extracts or essential oils in their "fragrance-free" formulas, but regulatory databases technically classify these under "fragrance".

Coconut oil has a tiny and useless bit of natural SPF. Early lab studies clocked it around SPF 7-8 but a more recent study found the real number closer to SPF 1.2. It also offers no meaningful UVA protection (SPF only overs UVB rays).

The comedogenic rating of 4/5 means it has a high potential to clog pores; but it's worth noting that comedogenicity is highly individual and ratings cannot predict how an overall formula will behave on skin.

Since lauric acid is the dominant fatty acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between 11-24, and lauric acid falls within these lengths (C12).

Learn more about Cocos Nucifera Oil
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin (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
Skin Conditioning

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Learn more about Panthenol
Buffering

Sodium Phosphate is is behind-the-scenes formulation helper. Its main job is buffering, or locking in the product's pH.

This helps ensure the formula stays at its intended acidity through manufacturing, shipping, and sitting on your shelf. Many active ingredients like vitamin C or retinoids are pH sensitive so maintaining their happy pH range matters.

It is synthetic and reported use concentrations are very low (up to 0.086% in face powders).

Learn more about Sodium Phosphate
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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

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