What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Carbomer, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Disodium EDTA
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Propanediol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Ceramide NP, Niacinamide, Disodium EDTA, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Benzoate
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 NPGlycerin (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 a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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 HydroxideWater. 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
