Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream for Very Dry/Sensitive Skin Versus Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Face Moisturizer SPF 15
This moisturizer is formulated around Petrolatum and Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil to hydrate skin.
This calming day moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Propylene Glycol, Petrolatum, Dicaprylyl Ether, PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Dimethiconol, Cetyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 2%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingChrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
Cleansing
Steareth-21
CleansingParfum
Masking
Polyacrylamide
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingEthylparaben
Preservative
Butylparaben
Masking
Propylparaben
Preservative
Isobutylparaben
Antimicrobial
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Potassium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 2%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Arachidyl Alcohol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Behenyl Alcohol, Steareth-2, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Steareth-21, Parfum, Polyacrylamide, Arachidyl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sarcosine, Laureth-7, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Potassium Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate
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 AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
