Bath & Body Works Daily Nourishing Body Lotion Versus Jergens Skincare Ultra Care Fragrance Free Moisturizer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isododecane
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Isododecane, Stearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Laureth-3
EmulsifyingCeteareth-20
CleansingMethylparaben
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylparaben
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone, Laureth-3, Ceteareth-20, Methylparaben, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylparaben, Carbomer, Panthenol, Lecithin, Pentylene Glycol, Alcohol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 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 HydroxideStearic 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
