Mary & May Sensitive Soothing Gel Cream Versus La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Light Rehydrating Face Moisturizer
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Panthenol to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This oil-control moisturizer is formulated around Zinc Gluconate and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to balance excess oil and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingIsododecane
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Water, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Isododecane, Panthenol, Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPolyethylene
AbrasivePEG-20 Stearate
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingZinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientIsohexadecane
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Copper Sulfate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientParfum
MaskingWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Polyethylene, PEG-20 Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Carbomer, Zinc Gluconate, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Copper Sulfate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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