What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Canola Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-59
UV AbsorberHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Canola Oil, Glycine Soja Sterols, Glycolipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-59, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phospholipids, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Benzophenone-4, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Brassica Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate
Emulsion StabilisingLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Mangifera Indica Juice
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Punica Granatum Bark Extract
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberParfum
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCI 40800
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Isopropyl Palmitate, Brassica Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Papain, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Cetrimonium Chloride, Mangifera Indica Juice, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Averrhoa Carambola Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Punica Granatum Bark Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Parfum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Beta-Carotene, CI 40800
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 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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
