What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Triticum Vulgare Starch
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Talc
Abrasive
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triticum Vulgare Starch, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Talc, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Inulin, Lecithin, Cera Alba, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Alanine, Lysine, Leucine, CI 77891
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Potassium Lauryl Sulfate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantLactic Acid
Buffering
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantPotassium Phosphate
BufferingGlucose
Humectant
Glucuronic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Zea Mays Starch, Potassium Lauryl Sulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Water, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Rhamnose, Lactic Acid, Piroctone Olamine, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc PCA, Propanediol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, CI 77891, CI 77492, Potassium Phosphate, Glucose, Glucuronic Acid, Parfum
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 AlcoholCi 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
