What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sorbitan Caprylate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Water, Gluconolactone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, C10-18 Triglycerides, C15-19 Alkane, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Parfum, Sorbitan Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Stearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Benzoic Acid, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Emulsifying
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Glycolic Acid, Ozokerite, Cetearyl Alcohol, Water, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Salicylic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlyceryl 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 StearateOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Water. 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
