What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid 8%
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Emulsifying Wax Nf
Cucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Arginine
Masking
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycolic Acid 8%, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salicylic Acid 2%, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycine Soja Oil, Stearic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Arginine, Glutamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract 12.3%
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glutathione
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nelumbo Nucifera Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
MaskingOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Centella Asiatica Extract 12.3%, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glutathione, Niacinamide, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Beta-Glucan, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol
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 AlcoholStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
