Watercome Niacinamide Essence Whitening Body Lotion Versus Eucerin Spotless Brightening Skin Tone Perfecting Body Lotion
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Triethanolamine
BufferingEthylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Allantoin, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Polysorbate 20, Lactic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Alpha-Arbutin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTrisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Diisopropyl Adipate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dibutyl Adipate, Distarch Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
