What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glycine Soja Oil, Ethyl Macadamiate, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Cellulose Gum, Tocopherol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
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 AlcoholWater. 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
