This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Glycine Soja Seed Extract and Oenothera Biennis Oil to strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate
EmollientPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Myreth-3 Myristate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine
Buffering
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
PEG-32
HumectantPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingPentyl Rhamnoside
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Myreth-3 Myristate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glycine, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Oenothera Biennis Oil, PEG-32, PEG-400, Pentyl Rhamnoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Isomerized Safflower Acid
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentOleth-3 Phosphate
SurfactantOleic Acid
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Water, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Isomerized Safflower Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Oleic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Disodium EDTA, Thioctic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Bisulfite, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
