What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Amodimethicone
PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether
Emulsion StabilisingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Lysine Hcl, Amodimethicone, PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Cetrimonium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Didecyldimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingJasminum Sambac Leaf Cell Extract
Masking
Methylpropanediol
SolventNiacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
Polyisobutene
Polyquaternium-80
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Schinus Molle Extract
Skin ProtectingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Didecyldimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Jasminum Sambac Leaf Cell Extract, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Polyisobutene, Polyquaternium-80, Propanediol, Schinus Molle Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeWater. 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
