What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Brassica Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientBrassicyl Valinate Esylate
EmollientPolyquaternium-10
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLactic Acid
Buffering
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantSodium Benzoate
Masking
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Behentrimonium Chloride, Brassica Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Trehalose, Diheptyl Succinate, Brassicyl Valinate Esylate, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Triethyl Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Masking
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Isoamyl Laurate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
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 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 GlycerinWater. 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
