What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potato Starch Modified
Limonene
Perfuming
Glycine
Buffering
Hydroxypropyl Guar
Emulsion StabilisingLinalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Octyldodecanol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Potato Starch Modified, Limonene, Glycine, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Linalool, Citronellol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Inositol
Humectant
Eclipta Prostrata Powder
Skin ConditioningAcacia Concinna Fruit Powder
Emblica Officinalis Fruit
Skin ConditioningCrocus Sativus Flower Extract
MaskingLactic Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Officinalis Extract
Antimicrobial
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Gamma-Undecalactone
Perfuming
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Undecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Inositol, Eclipta Prostrata Powder, Acacia Concinna Fruit Powder, Emblica Officinalis Fruit, Crocus Sativus Flower Extract, Lactic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Salvia Officinalis Extract, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Vanillin, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Gamma-Undecalactone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 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
