COSRX Oil Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion with Birch Sap Versus Weleda Skin Food Light Intensive Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
4-Terpineol
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethyl Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lactate, 4-Terpineol, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Viola Tricolor Extract
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Lanolin
Emollient
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientParfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Limonene, Viola Tricolor Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Lanolin, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Parfum, Linalool, Geraniol, Citral
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 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
