Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier Versus Acnemy Zitcalm Anti-Redness Calming Moisturizer
Updated on October 07, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier 24 ingredients
Acnemy Zitcalm Anti-Redness Calming Moisturizer 29 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier 24 ingredients
Acnemy Zitcalm Anti-Redness Calming Moisturizer 29 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Bisabolol
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Ceramide Ng, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Propanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Bisabolol
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycereth-26
HumectantCopernicia Cerifera Wax Extract
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rice Bran Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingIsosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningZinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Squalene
Emollient
Morinda Citrifolia Callus Culture Lysate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingPhosphoric Acid
BufferingMalic Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Glycerin, C10-18 Triglycerides, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Glycereth-26, Copernicia Cerifera Wax Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rice Bran Oil Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Sclerotium Gum, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Squalene, Morinda Citrifolia Callus Culture Lysate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Beta-Sitosterol, Phosphoric Acid, Malic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis oil comes from the seeds of the desert shrub called Jojoba. It is more commonly known as jojoba oil, a non-comedogenic oil.
Jojoba oil does not contain fragrance and has many fatty-acids, making it a great soothing ingredient.
It also contains Vitamin E, a great moisturizing ingredient. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and protects your skin against oxidative damage.
This ingredient humectant properties, meaning it helps draw moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
While jojoba has antibacterial properties, it is only able to kill some strains of bacteria.
Studies also show it helps in wound healing. In fact, Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fun fact: Jojoba oil similar to natural human skin sebum, so it has a great effect on dry skin. It is also promising with helping to regulate sebum production.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilBisabolol is famous for its skin soothing properties. It does this by blocking inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.
This ingredient also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.
Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.
Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.
All these properties makes bisabolol a great skin barrier helper ingredient.
Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.
Note: Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.
Learn more about BisabololAllantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.
Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Learn more about AllantoinSqualene is naturally found in plants and animals, including our skin and sebum. It is a lipid our bodies naturally produce and makes up about 10-12% of the oil on our skin. Our skin produces squalene to keep itself naturally hydrated.
This ingredient is a potent antioxidant and can help fight against skin damage.
Sources of squalene include olives and rice bran. Some sources may be animals such as from shark liver.
Squalane comes from squalene and is created using hydrogenation. Squalane is lighter than squalene.
Hydrogenation is the conversion from unsaturated oil to saturated oil. This makes squalane more stable and have a longer shelf life than squalene.
Read more about squalane with an "a".
Learn more about SqualeneTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolCitric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Ingredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier 24 ingredients
Acnemy Zitcalm Anti-Redness Calming Moisturizer 29 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Geek & Gorgeous Happier Barrier 24 ingredients
HOLY GRAIL!!!! ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
My skin: Extremely sensitive, trans masc and started testosterone which made my skin oilier and somehow drier??? have had semi cystic hormonal acne. Wrecked skin barrier from exfoliating and shaving badly at the start of my testo journey.
THIS. THIS IS THE BEST. I thought because I have oilier skin it would break me out but this is one of the only moisturiser that doesn’t Show more
I live in a humid weather and have combination skin, but surprisingly this product seals in well the retinal and azelaic acid products I use. Hydrating and moisturizing at the same time.
