CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream Versus La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Light Rehydrating Face Moisturizer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Glycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triacetin
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lactate
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethicone, Triacetin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Polyethylene
Abrasive
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Copper Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Polyethylene, PEG-20 Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Carbomer, Zinc Gluconate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Copper Sulfate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Cetyl 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.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPeg-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 HydroxideWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
