What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientParfum
MaskingBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningTrichilia Emetica Seed Butter
EmollientAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHoney
HumectantCetrimonium Chloride
AntimicrobialFicus Carica Fruit/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Behentrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Trichilia Emetica Seed Butter, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Honey, Cetrimonium Chloride, Ficus Carica Fruit/Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Lauryl Sulfate
CleansingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingLanolin Oil
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningDimethicone PEG-7 Cocoate
EmollientTridecyl Stearate
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientTridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDicetyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Lanolin Oil, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone PEG-7 Cocoate, Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Panthenol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is an ammonium salt. It is mainly used to prevent static in haircare products as a surfactant.
Surfactants have differing ends: one side is hydrophilic while the other end is hydrophobic.
Surfactants also help your cleansers remove pollutants more easily from the skin.
Learn more about Behentrimonium MethosulfateCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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