What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
HumectantElaeis Guineensis Oil
EmollientAnhydroxylitol
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingXylitol
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose Distearate
EmollientGlucose
HumectantSalvia Officinalis Oil
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicPogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingRhodiola Sachalinensis Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Complex
Water, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Methylpropanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Cellulose Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Xylitylglucoside, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Xylitol, Ceramide NP, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Sucrose Distearate, Glucose, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Rhodiola Sachalinensis Extract, Ceramide As, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Complex
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingSorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate
EmulsifyingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Sesquiisostearate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTromethamine
BufferingPPG-8-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, Methyl Gluceth-10, Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Panthenol, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Citrate, Tromethamine, PPG-8-Ceteth-20, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCeramide 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 AS is formally known as Ceramides 4 and 5.
Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin.
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 NPCeramide NS is formally known as Ceramide 2. It is one of the major ceramides in the stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin) plays a role in forming a protective barrier.
Due to its structure, skin lipids can be packed tightly and in turn, this strengthens the barrier and reduces water loss.
Studies show conditions like atopic dermatitis can worsen when ceramide NS levels are low.
Learn more about Ceramide NsCholesterol 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 CholesterolCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinWater. 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