What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Rosa Canina Seed Extract
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Squalene
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Rosa Canina Seed Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Cetearyl Glucoside, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Squalene, Lactic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientVaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSqualane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Isododecane, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Carnosine, Disodium EDTA, Coco-Glucoside, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Plankton Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
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 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
