What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Isononyl Isononanoate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Phosphate, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cholesterol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Persea Gratissima Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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 AlcoholGlyceryl 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 Stearate
