What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Glycerin
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Echinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract
EmollientLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Wheat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Amodimethicone
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Linoleamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate
Dimethyl Lauramine Isostearate
EmollientCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Polyquaternium-37
Polyquaternium-7
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Amodimethicone, Panthenol, Linoleamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Dimethyl Lauramine Isostearate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-37, Polyquaternium-7, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Trideceth-6, Trideceth-12, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a preservative and often used for it's anti-static properties. You'll most likely see this ingredient in hair conditioners.
It does not cause irritation or sensitization in leave-on products at 1-5%.
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 AlcoholPhenoxyethanol 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.
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
