What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Disodium Tetramethylhexadecenylcysteine Formylprolinate
Skin ProtectingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Disodium Tetramethylhexadecenylcysteine Formylprolinate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Pantolactone
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Propanediol
Solvent
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Silica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Propanediol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Isododecane, Tromethamine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Decyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum
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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
