What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Polyquaternium-10
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Inulin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
PEG-8
HumectantSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
PEG-150 Stearate
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPEG-20 Hydrogenated Lanolin
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Glucosamine Hcl
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-8, Sodium Gluconate, Allantoin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Punica Granatum Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Squalane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Polysorbate 60, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, PEG-150 Stearate, Polysorbate 80, Ethylhexylglycerin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Ceteareth-20, PEG-20 Hydrogenated Lanolin, PEG-40 Stearate, Fructooligosaccharides, Glucosamine Hcl, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCetearyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
