What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Poria Cocos Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningCocoglycerides
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Corylus Avellana Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycine Max Polypeptide
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Polygamma-Glutamate
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingPullulan
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Helianthus Annuus Flower
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrogenated Olive Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Ginsenosides
Skin ConditioningDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ellagic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-64
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Catechins
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentWater, Glycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Poria Cocos Polysaccharide, Cocoglycerides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycine Max Polypeptide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polygamma-Glutamate, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Pullulan, Synthetic Beeswax, Helianthus Annuus Flower, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Behenyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Behenic Acid, Ginsenosides, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Copper Tripeptide-1, Ellagic Acid, Sh-Polypeptide-64, Camellia Sinensis Catechins, Jojoba Esters, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, Carbomer, Myristic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclodextrin
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-21
CleansingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ceteareth-25
Cleansing3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Gluconolactone, Steareth-21, Niacinamide, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ns, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Ceramide EOP, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ceramide Eos, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceramide AP, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Ceteareth-25, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Behenic 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.
Behenic Acid is a fatty acid and has moisturizing properties.
It is naturally occuring in the Moringa oleifera tree, rapeseed oil, and peanut oil.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Behenic AcidCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl 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
