What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
N-Capryloyl Lysine
EmollientJojoba Esters
Emollient
Carnitine
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pullulan
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Lecithin
Emollient
Phytic Acid
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Triacetin
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Cholesterol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate, Sodium PCA, Squalane, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Ethyl Macadamiate, N-Capryloyl Lysine, Jojoba Esters, Carnitine, Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Urea, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Carnosine, Caffeine, Salicylic Acid, Tocopherol, Pullulan, Caprylyl Methicone, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethyl Citrate, Silica, Lecithin, Phytic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Triacetin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Lactic Acid
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.
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 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 StearateWater. 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
