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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream versus NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream .

Last updated on November 17, 2023. Published on January 03, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe body lotions. They have a total of 14 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain retinoid and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Body Lotion American Brand United States
Body Lotion American Brand United States

Body Lotion

Body lotions, creams, and butters help moisturize your body.

Body Lotion

Body lotions, creams, and butters help moisturize your body.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin E

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid (2)
Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cocos Nucifera Oil is obtained from the kernels of the coconut fruit. In other words, this is coconut oil.

Coconut Oil is rich in fatty acids with lauric acid making up the majority of these. It also contains linoleic acid. Due to this high fatty acid content, coconut oil helps trap moisture and soften skin.

Despite being antibacterial, coconut oil may not be great for acne-prone skin. It is comedogenic and may clog pores. This ingredient may not be safe for malassezia or fungal acne.

Coconut Oil should not replace your sunscreen for UV protection. Studies show it only blocks about 20% of UV.

This oil is non-volatile and has a light scent.

The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.

Learn more about Cocos Nucifera Oil

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

Allantoin 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 Allantoin

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 11.

4
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Cetyl Alcohol is not related to SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 16.

5
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Ceteth-20.

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 5.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 17.

6
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Steareth-20 is a waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients. It is created from stearyl alcohol.

It possesses surfactant properties. This means it reduces surface tension and helps oils, dirt, and pollutants to be washed away.

The 20 stands for the number of ethylene oxide used to create this ingredient.

Learn more about Steareth-20

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 18.

7
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Disliked

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 7.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 15.

8
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.

This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.

First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.

This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.

Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.

Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:

Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.

This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.

The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.

While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.

All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.

Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate

Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.

Learn more about Retinyl Palmitate

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 8.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 13.

9
What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopheryl 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 Acetate

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 9.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

10
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

We don't have a description for Polymethyl Methacrylate.

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 10.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 19.

11
What it does: Emulsifying

Polysorbate 85 isn't fungal acne safe.

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 11.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

12
What it does: Emollient, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Paraffinum Liquidum is also known as liquid paraffin. It is a type of highly refined mineral oil.

Like other oils, Paraffinum Liquidum has emollient properties. Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture within, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.

Paraffinum Liquidum does not irritate the skin and is non-comedogenic. However, this ingredient may not work well for those with oily skin or fungal acne.

If you have concerns about using this ingredient in your routine, we recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Paraffinum Liquidum

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 23.

13
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 13.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 25.

14
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

NatureWell Vitamin C Brightening Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

NatureWell Clinical Retinol Advanced Moisture Cream contains this as ingredient number 26.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

20% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
60% are disliked or very disliked
13% have no rating yet
23% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
23% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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