Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Cetaphil Softening Cream versus Vanicream Shave Cream .

Last updated on January 18, 2024. Published on March 22, 2024

Overview

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

General Moisturizer American Brand United States
Grooming American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Grooming

Grooming products are used to remove hair from the face or body. These include shaving razors, creams, or after-shave products.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Cetaphil Softening Cream 25 ingredients

Vanicream Shave Cream 14 ingredients

alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Cetaphil Softening Cream 25 ingredients

Vanicream Shave Cream 14 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E (2)
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Reduces Irritation
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Cetaphil Softening Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

Vanicream Shave Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin 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 Glycerin

Cetaphil Softening Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

Vanicream Shave Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

Cetaphil Softening Cream contains this as ingredient number 10.

Vanicream Shave Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium 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 EDTA

Cetaphil Softening Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

Vanicream Shave Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

5
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Cetaphil Softening Cream contains this as ingredient number 24.

Vanicream Shave Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

Cetaphil Softening Cream 25 ingredients

Vanicream Shave Cream 14 ingredients

32% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
60% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet
36% are loved or liked
36% have mixed ratings
21% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Cetaphil Softening Cream 25 ingredients

Vanicream Shave Cream 14 ingredients

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Cetaphil Softening Cream 25 ingredients

Softening Cream hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Vanicream Shave Cream 14 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) Light (1) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
gofofnglv's avatar

gofofnglv

2 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Simple light shave cream that gets the job done and doesn’t break me out. Drys out pretty quickly though so I have to keep reapplying. Doesn’t...

Simple light shave cream that gets the job done and doesn’t break me out. Drys out pretty quickly though so I have to keep reapplying. Doesn’t spread as well as shaving soap does with a brush.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Cetaphil Softening Cream.

See 50 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 2 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Vanicream Shave Cream.

See 2 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...