What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 2%
AbsorbentWater
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSodium PCA
HumectantArginine
MaskingSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Phytate
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantMaltodextrin
AbsorbentCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningColloidal Oatmeal 2%, Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium PCA, Arginine, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose Gum, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Ceramide NP
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
AbsorbentWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDistearyldimonium Chloride
Petrolatum
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingBenzalkonium Chloride
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
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 NPAccording to INCI standards, this ingredient refers to the physical ground up oatmeal. If you are looking for colloidal oatmeal in skincare, you'll most likely see Avena Sativa Kernel Extract on your ingredient list.
Physical colloidal oatmeal is an abrasive meaning it provides physical exfoliation.
Dimethicone 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 GlycerinWater. 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