What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Laureth Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Polyacrylate-33
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSilanetriol
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOctenidine Hcl
AntimicrobialDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Potassium Laureth Phosphate, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyacrylate-33, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Silanetriol, Hyaluronic Acid, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Oryza Sativa Extract, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Octenidine Hcl, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Petrolatum, Lauric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Urea, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
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 NPCocamidopropyl Betaine is a fatty acid created by mixing similar compounds in coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine, a compound with two amino groups.
This ingredient is a surfactant and cleanser. It helps gather the dirt, pollutants, and other impurities in your skin to be washed away. It also helps thicken a product and make the texture more creamy.
Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
While Cocamidopropyl Betaine was believed to be an allergen, a study from 2012 disproved this. It found two compounds in unpure Cocamidopropyl Betaine to be the irritants: aminoamide and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine. High-grade and pure Cocamidopropyl Betaine did not induce allergic reactions during this study.
Learn more about Cocamidopropyl BetaineEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is derived from guar gum. It is a skin conditioning agent that creates a thin, breathable film to reduce water loss during cleansing.
This leaves the skin feeling soft rather than stripped and also contributes to a creamier lather.
Due to the large molecule size, this ingredient is unlikely to penetrate skin.
Learn more about Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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 Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
