What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Oleate
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Surfactant
Glycine
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Isostearate
SurfactantPotassium Behenate
CleansingMenthol
Masking
EDTA
Sodium Paraben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Oleate, Urea, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Glycine, Stearic Acid, Isostearic Acid, Behenic Acid, Potassium Carbomer, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Isostearate, Potassium Behenate, Menthol, EDTA, Sodium Paraben
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingGlycerin
Humectant
Etidronic Acid
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-7
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Petrolatum, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Glycerin, Etidronic Acid, Coconut Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCetearyl 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 GlycerinPetrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.
Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.
The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.
Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.
Petrolatum is fungal acne safe. It is a hydrocarbon with no fatty acid structure, so Malassezia cannot metabolize it. In-vitro studies support negligible growth stimulation as well.
It's also worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didn’t promote comedone formation in standard models.
Learn more about PetrolatumStearic 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 Water
