What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialUrea
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Tromethamine, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Urea, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Salicylic Acid, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Disodium EDTA, Bakuchiol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Laureth-7, Retinal, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol
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.
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 EthylhexylglycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
