What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sea Water
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Diisostearyl Malate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sea Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glucose, Dipropylene Glycol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningStyrax Tonkinensis Resin Extract
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Stearic Acid, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Sclerotium Gum, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Styrax Tonkinensis Resin Extract, Geraniol, Sodium Hydroxide, Linalool
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 GlycerinStearic 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
