What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyester-7
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Aminopropanediol
BufferingCeteareth-33
CleansingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Camelina Sativa Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xylitol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ceteth-20
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
PEG-75 Stearate
Steareth-20
CleansingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Polyester-7, Glyceryl Stearate, Xylitylglucoside, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Aminopropanediol, Ceteareth-33, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Oleyl Alcohol, Phytosterols, Anhydroxylitol, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitol, Triethanolamine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ceteth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, PEG-75 Stearate, Steareth-20, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Glycosphingolipids, Citric Acid, Glycolipids
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholWater. 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
