What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dipalmitoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Vanillin
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Dipalmitoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Vanillin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Polyquaternium-37
Polyquaternium-10
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Acetate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Persea Gratissima Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-8 Beeswax, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Polyglycerin-3, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Polyquaternium-37, Polyquaternium-10, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Benzoate
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 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
