What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrated Silica
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCocos Nucifera Shell Powder
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Stearate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Oleate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingSodium Laurate
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Lauric Acid, Sodium Oleate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Laurate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Chloride, Citral, Limonene, CI 77891, CI 17200, CI 19140
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 AlcoholCI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.
Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.
Learn more about CI 19140Hydrated Silica is a type of silicon dioxide. It is called 'hydrated silica' because it is silica with extra bonded water atoms.
It is an absorbent and abrasive, meaning it is exfoliating.
Silica is often used for absorption and can help reduce shine when products are applied.
Learn more about Hydrated SilicaParfum 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 ParfumStearic 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 Water
