This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
EmollientTriethyl Citrate
MaskingHydrolyzed Algin
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningMaris Aqua
HumectantFarnesol
PerfumingHippophae Rhamnoides Extract
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeEthylparaben
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantBHT
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Urea, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Myristyl Myristate, Triethyl Citrate, Hydrolyzed Algin, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Maris Aqua, Farnesol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, BHT, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Laurate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingAlthaea Officinalis Flower Extract
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
EmollientBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Althaea Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinGlycerin (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 StearatePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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