What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Montanate
EmulsifyingEmulsifying Wax Nf
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Prunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Montanate, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide AP, Tocopherol, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Water, Sodium Lactate, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Stearic Acid, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Imidazolidinyl Urea
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl 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 GlycerinStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
