What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 10%
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine 3%
Skin Conditioning
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol 2.5%
UV Filter
Water
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingNylon 6/12
AbsorbentCeteareth-20
CleansingSqualane
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Triethanolamine
BufferingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 10%, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine 3%, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol 2.5%, Water, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Nylon 6/12, Ceteareth-20, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-40 Stearate, Silica, Saccharide Isomerate, Decyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 60, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Parfum, Triethanolamine, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Carnosine, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Pentane
SolventTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Iron Oxides
Water, Zinc Oxide, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Isostearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Pentane, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Chloride, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Disodium EDTA, Iron Oxides
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 AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract is from the Kakadu plum. The Kakadu plum is native to northern Australia. The Kakadu plum holds the record for having the highest amount of natural vitamin C.
This ingredient is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals and thus may reduce the signs of aging.
The high vitamin C content of Kakadu plum also helps lighten skin. Vitamin C has been shown to block the process of skin darkening that leads to hyperpigmentation.
Kakadu plums have been used by indigenous cultures as medicine to help treat colds and as an antiseptic.
Learn more about Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit ExtractWater. 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
