What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBrassica Alcohol
Emollient
Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
Masking
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Vinegar
Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Brassica Alcohol, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Aspartic Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Vinegar, Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningBis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Histidine
Humectant
Panthenyl Ethyl Ether
Citric Acid
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Iron Oxides
Water, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Panthenol, Histidine, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Citric Acid, Squalane, Trehalose, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Iron Oxides
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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholWater. 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
