What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 5%
Absorbent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTriethanolamine
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningColloidal Oatmeal 5%, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteth-20, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Isopropyl Myristate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Triethanolamine, Water
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
Absorbent
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylparaben
Preservative
Stearamide Amp
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%, Water, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Propylparaben, Stearamide Amp, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxystearic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
According to INCI standards, this ingredient refers to the physical ground up oatmeal. If you are looking for colloidal oatmeal in skincare, you'll most likely see Avena Sativa Kernel Extract on your ingredient list.
Physical colloidal oatmeal is an abrasive meaning it provides physical exfoliation.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 StearateIsopropyl Myristate is an ester made by combining isopropyl alcohol with myristic acid.
It is primarily an emollient and penetration enhancer that gives products a lightweight, silky feel without the heaviness of oils.
This ingredient is generally considered non-toxic, non-irritating, and has low absorption potential.
You might have heard that this ingredient clogs pores. This reputation comes from the older rabbit ear studies which are more sensitive than human skin to clogging.
Dermatologist Dr. Zoe Draelos has also confirmed in a peer-reviewed paper that products containing comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic themselves.
A small subset of people (~2%) may experience contact sensitivity so patch testing is a reasonable idea if you have reactive skin.
Since this ingredient is an ester of myristic acid (a C14 fatty acid), it falls within the carbon chain range that is known to feed Malassezia. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl MyristatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
