What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningAleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantAzadirachta Indica Leaf Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Cera Alba, Tocopherol, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Calcium Gluconate, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Water
MaskingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Bear Oil
Emollient
Citrus Grandis Seed Extract
Astringent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBoswellia Carterii Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Water, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Bear Oil, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
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.
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 AlcoholCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
The term '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.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilSodium Cetearyl Sulfate is a type of sulfate.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
