What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polyacrylamide
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Phytonadione Epoxide
AstringentSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glucosyl Hesperidin
HumectantLecithin
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Escin
TonicGlycerin
Humectant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Arnica Montana Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phytonadione Epoxide, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Lecithin, Dimethicone, Phosphatidylcholine, Gluconolactone, Escin, Glycerin, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Benzoate, Bisabolol, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Arnica Montana Extract, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Limonene
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
