What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Triisostearin
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Gellan Gum
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Vegetable Oil, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Triisostearin, Sorbitan Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Gellan Gum, Xanthan Gum, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid, Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLinalool
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Citral
Perfuming
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Betaine, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Beeswax, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Limonene, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Xanthan Gum, Linalool, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citral, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP
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 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
