What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingHydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Octocrylene, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ceteareth-20, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Titanium Dioxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, BHT, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
Abrasive
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dihydroxyacetone, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Isododecane, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Silk, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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 AlcoholCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneGlycerin (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 StearateOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol 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.
