What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingParaffin
Perfuming
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Sulfate
Dilauryl Thiodipropionate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Linoleate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Vanillin
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Allantoin, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffin, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Sulfate, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Tocopheryl Linoleate, BHT, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Vanillin
Polybutene
Hydrogenated Castor Oil Isostearate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientGlyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Santalum Album Oil
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Meadowfoam Estolide
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Aleuritic Acid
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTropolone
Skin ConditioningPolybutene, Hydrogenated Castor Oil Isostearate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Diisostearyl Malate, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Santalum Album Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Glycosphingolipids, Ceramide AP, Meadowfoam Estolide, Glycine Soja Sterols, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceramide EOP, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Aleuritic Acid, Yeast Extract, Glycoproteins, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-51, Butylene Glycol, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Propylene Glycol, Bacillus Ferment, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone
Reviews
Alternatives
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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
