What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 2%
Absorbent
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Colloidal 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%
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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric 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 AcidAccording 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
