What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Honey
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Isododecane, C13-15 Alkane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Dimethiconol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Parfum, Honey, Glutamic Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Caprylyl Methicone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polysorbate 60, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Coumarin, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Hydrogenated Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceryl Esters, Glycerin, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate
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 GlycerinThis ingredient is a plant-derived protein made by breaking down wheat proteins into smaller amino acids and peptides. It has skin and hair conditioning properties.
People with known wheat allergy or a history of immediate reactions should be cautious with leave-on products containing hydrolyzed wheat proteins.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWe don't have a description for Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine yet.
Water. 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
