What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Maleic Acid
BufferingEthanolamine
BufferingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Parfum
Masking
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Quaternium-91
Polyquaternium-37
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Cetrimonium Methosulfate
AntimicrobialPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicLimonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acrylates Copolymer
Linalool
Perfuming
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Maleic Acid, Ethanolamine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Parfum, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Quaternium-91, Polyquaternium-37, Benzoic Acid, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Benzyl Benzoate, Biotin, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Linalool, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Sorbitan Oleate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Polyquaternium-10
Polyquaternium-7
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Arvensis Callus Lysate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Redensyl
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-7, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Panthenol, Mentha Arvensis Callus Lysate, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Redensyl, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
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.
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 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 Glycerin
