What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycol Distearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentIsopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-100 Stearate
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Distarch Phosphate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Phenoxyethanol
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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
