What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Isononyl Isononanoate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Phosphate, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cholesterol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Persea Gratissima Oil, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Ethylhexylglycerin
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isocetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%, Glycerin, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isocetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Benzoic Acid, Stearic Acid, Dipotassium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, P-Anisic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hydroxide, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Ceramide NP, Citric Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDipotassium Phosphate is an inorganic salt. This just means it has a different structure than organic salts. It is a stabilizing and pH adjusting ingredient.
This ingredient is soluble in water.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPotassium Phosphate is the term for the salts of potassium and phosphate ions. Our bodies naturally create and use potassium phosphate.
In cosmetics, potassium phosphate is used to adjust the pH level of products. Our skin has a natural pH level. Maintaining this pH level is important for our skin barrier. If the skin barrier is disrupted, our skin can experience dehydration and irritation.
This ingredient is used in medicine to help treat low blood levels of phosphorus.
Learn more about Potassium Phosphate
