What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Stearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Phytosterols, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Oligopeptide-1, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Althaea Officinalis Flower Extract
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCeramide 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 GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
