What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPvp
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantOzokerite
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Propylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientNylon-6
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientCera Alba
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Hydrogenated Palm Acid
Stearyl Stearate
EmollientTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPisum Sativum Peptide
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Pvp, Mica, Ozokerite, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Nylon-6, Glyceryl Stearate, Cera Alba, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydrogenated Palm Acid, Stearyl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantStyrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Polyurethane-35
Cera Alba
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate
Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientEthylene/Va Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialParaffin
PerfumingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingMyristic Acid
CleansingAminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTetrasodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propylene Glycol, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyurethane-35, Cera Alba, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-200 Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylenediamine/Stearyl Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylene/Va Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Paraffin, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Myristic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Learn more about Cera AlbaCi 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolStearic 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