What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialUrea
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactobionic Acid
Buffering
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Caproyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Squalene
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Boswellia Serrata Gum Extract
Skin ConditioningSuperoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-25
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Urea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lactic Acid, Sorbitol, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycolic Acid, Gluconolactone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactobionic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Caproyl Sphingosine, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Cholesterol, Squalene, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Boswellia Serrata Gum Extract, Superoxide Dismutase, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ceteareth-25, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lactate
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
PEG-75 Stearate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Petrolatum
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyisobutene
Ceteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
Water, Ammonium Lactate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Isostearyl Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Paraffinum Liquidum, PEG-75 Stearate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Petrolatum, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyisobutene, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
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 AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide EOP is formally known as Ceramide 1.
It is naturally found in skin and part of the intercellular "mortar" holding everything together in your outermost layer.
EOP stands for a linked Ester fatty acid, a linked Omega hydroxy fatty acid, and the Phytosphingosine base.
What makes Ceramide EOP special is its ultra-long fatty acid chain; this unique structure allows it to bridge the lipid layers in your skin barrier to prevent water loss (something no other ceramide can do).
Low levels of Ceramide EOP have been found in people with eczema and psoriasis.
Using it together with other ceramides, cholesterol, and linoleic acid have been shown to meaningfully improve hydration and reduce water loss.
In one clinical study, a regimen using Ceramide EOP, NP, and AP led to significant symptom improvements in patients with eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin in just 4 weeks.
You'll usually see concentrations between 0.1-0.5% in formulations. Overall, this is a well-tolerated and safe ingredient for cosmetic use.
Learn more about Ceramide EOPCeramide 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 NPCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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
