What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningIsoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Alcohol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil
Emollient
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ximenia Americana Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Histidine
Humectant
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Valine
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPolyester-37
Skin ConditioningAdansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diheptyl Succinate, Glycerin, Coconut Alkanes, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Sodium PCA, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Glycolic Acid, Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyester-37, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Aspartic Acid, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Calcium Gluconate, Gluconolactone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer yet.
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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholWe don't have a description for Diheptyl Succinate yet.
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 GlycerinWater. 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
