What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Seed Water
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil
Emollient
Calcium Pantothenate
Inositol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Powder
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Seed Water, Stearic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Wax, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Calcium Pantothenate, Inositol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Water, Saccharomyces Ferment, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Oryza Sativa Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Maltodextrin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Viscum Album Fruit Extract
SoothingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Citrus Japonica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningAmodimethicone
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyquaternium-37
Laureth-9
EmulsifyingTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingDivinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
C12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingC12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingPropoxytetramethyl Piperidinyl Dimethicone
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingC11-15 Pareth-7
EmulsifyingAcetic Acid
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Acetate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientLauryl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Viscum Album Fruit Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Citrus Japonica Fruit Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Panthenol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-37, Laureth-9, Trideceth-12, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Propoxytetramethyl Piperidinyl Dimethicone, Trideceth-6, C11-15 Pareth-7, Acetic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Acetate, Tocopherol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Lauryl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal
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 Alcohol
