What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hydrocortisone
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Lactate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone/Vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate Crosspolymer
Dimethyl Mea
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cholesterol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrocortisone, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Isopropyl Myristate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Benzyl Alcohol, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Cetyl Palmitate, PEG-40 Stearate, Potassium Lactate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Potassium Sorbate, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Niacinamide, Dimethicone/Vinyltrimethylsiloxysilicate Crosspolymer, Dimethyl Mea, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Methylparaben, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Cholesterol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
Absorbent
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%, Water, Glycerin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, PEG-40 Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Piroctone Olamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCeramide 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 NPCetyl Palmitate is a wax-ester that pulls triple duty as an emollient, thickener, and emulsion enhancer.
It helps enhance the texture of products by giving a smooth, silky feel while helping to stabilize the formula. The emollient action softens skin and reduces moisture loss.
This ingredient is considered safe and human testing of concentrations between 2.5-2.7% were found minimal irritation. Just know, there have been very rare cases of the palmitate family causing contact dermatitis.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it contains a C16 ester (palmitic acid) that falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can feed on.
Learn more about Cetyl PalmitateCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPEG-40 Stearate is a nonionic emulsifier and surfactant made from stearic acid.
It's water-soluble and good at coaxing oil + water to mix to keep everything stable.
The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly concluded this ingredient to be safe at current cosmetic use levels with minimal skin/eye irritation when tested at 100%.
Your skincare also won't be containing 100% of this ingredient: the supplier recommends using 1-5% in a formula.
Broader reviews back this up: PEGs and their fatty-acid esters produce little or no skin/eye irritation, don't readily penetract intact skin, and rarely cause sensitization.
Because this ingredient is a PEG ester of stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne, or Malassezia, safe. Stearic acid (C18) sits in the C11-24 "edible window" that Malassezia lipases can cleave and metabolize.
Learn more about PEG-40 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
