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Balea Beauty Expert Cleansing Balm 3% Squalane Versus The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm

Balea Beauty Expert Cleansing Balm 3% Squalane Versus The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Glycine Soj

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

Balea Beauty Expert Cleansing Balm 3% Squalane Versus The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm

This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Glycine Soja Oil

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Laureth-4

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Behenate

Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Squalane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Glycine Soja Oil, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Laureth-4, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Avena Sativa Kernel Oil

Candelilla Cera

Silica

Sorbitan Stearate

Tribehenin

PEG-60 Almond Glycerides

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Water

Benzyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Lecithin

1,2-Hexanediol

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Tocopherol

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Candelilla Cera, Silica, Sorbitan Stearate, Tribehenin, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Water, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

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Alternatives

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.

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  4. 04Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  5. 05Your 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.
  6. 06Aquaporin-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.
  7. 07This 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.
  8. 08Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  9. 09Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  10. 10Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
  11. 11It’s often used to:
  12. 12Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
  13. 13Sodium 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.
  14. 14In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
  15. 15Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
  16. 16Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
  17. 17Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
  18. 18You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
  19. 19Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
  20. 20It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not kn…
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

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03

Comparison edit

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