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
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Amodimethicone
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Potato Starch Modified
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Shorea Robusta Seed Butter
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingLinalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Candelilla Cera
Emollient
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Mel Extract
Moisturising2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Potato Starch Modified, Isopropyl Alcohol, Shorea Robusta Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Trideceth-6, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Candelilla Cera, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Mel Extract, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Citric Acid, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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 AlcoholThis ingredient is a preservative, antimicrobial, and emulsifier. It is often used in cosmetics for its ability to cleanse, condition, and reduce static.
Cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt, meaning it has a water-soluble structure.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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
