What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
Absorbent
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Nut Extract
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Honey
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingColloidal Oatmeal 1%, Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Nut Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Phytate, Honey, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicSpiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytic Acid
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Polysorbate 60, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Phytic Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the common Marigold plant part of the Asteraceae family. This ingredient is a skin conditioner.
Marigolds contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of substances found naturally in plants. They possess antioxidant and inflammation properties.
This ingredient soothes skin inflammation by inhibiting inhibiting a part of the inflammation process.
Marigolds have been used in traditional medicine throughout Asia and Europe.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
