What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Steareth-21
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Poloxamer 407
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingWater, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Propylene Glycol, Steareth-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Steareth-21, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Squalane, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Panthenol, Mentha Piperita Oil, Silica, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Poloxamer 407, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Zeolite
AbsorbentCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Borago Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingLinalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Urea, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Zeolite, Cetearyl Glucoside, Borago Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Citronellol, Geraniol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCetearyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
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
