Updated on November 30, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe hand cream. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances or parabens
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
Necessaire The Hand Cream 35 ingredients
Avène Cicalfate Hand Restorative Hand Cream 21 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Necessaire The Hand Cream 35 ingredients
Avène Cicalfate Hand Restorative Hand Cream 21 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Dicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
3 Concerns
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Cetearyl Olivate is an emulsifier and texture enhancer. It is derived from the fatty acids of olive oil and Cetearyl alcohol, and is biodegradable.
2 Concerns
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid, a fatty acid from coconut.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (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.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil is the oil expressed from the seeds of the Marula plant. In South Africa, Marula is called "an elephant's favorite treat".
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine isn't fungal acne safe and is a peptide.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate isn't fungal acne safe and is a peptide.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a 3-amino acid peptide. Peptides are building blocks for protein.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 is a peptide. Peptides are building blocks for protein.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 isn't fungal acne safe and is a peptide.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is created from the hydrogenation of lecithin. Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecule hydrogen and another element.
Hydrated Silica is a type of silicon dioxide. It is called 'hydrated silica' because it is silica with extra bonded water atoms.
This silica is mainly used to thicken oils and suspend particles in oils. It is not water soluble.
4 Benefits
Ceramide NG is a type of Ceramide. The NG stands for a sphinganine base.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Cholesterol is a class of organic molecules called lipids. It helps hydrate your skin and is essential to having a healthy skin barrier.
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrated Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Ceramide Ag, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Cholesterol, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide
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.
2 Concerns
Paraffinum Liquidum is also known as liquid paraffin. It is a type of highly refined mineral oil.
Myreth-3 Myristate isn't fungal acne safe. It can be bad for oily skin and be bad for acne prone skin.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol. It is primarily used to enhance the texture of products.
Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is created from polyethylene glycol and fatty acids from coconut oil.
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate is a synthetic powder used as an absorbent, thickener, and anti-caking agent.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Beeswax is natural wax produced by honey bees and can be synthetically created. It consists mainly of fatty acid esters and long-chain alcohols.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Magnesium Sulfate is a salt. It can be naturally found in sea water or mineral deposits.
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.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Xanthan 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.
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Myreth-3 Myristate, Peg-45, Dimethicone, Aluminum Sucrose Octasulfate, Octyldodecanol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Copper Sulfate, Dimethiconol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Zinc Sulfate
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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
When to use
Necessaire The Hand Cream 35 ingredients
Avène Cicalfate Hand Restorative Hand Cream 21 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Necessaire The Hand Cream 35 ingredients
Daniel Chin
Works well and, crucially, doesn’t dry my hands out or cause irritation. Which is rare! Lacks the ‘oomph’ factor, though; I think I’ll alternate it...
Works well and, crucially, doesn’t dry my hands out or cause irritation. Which is rare! Lacks the ‘oomph’ factor, though; I think I’ll alternate it with my favourite: Pelegrims hand balm.
Avène Cicalfate Hand Restorative Hand Cream 21 ingredients
MarianaMoreira_410
Super effective, dry feel
I always have a lot of issues with my hand skin during winter, because my skin gets super dry and cracks. I also don't...
Super effective, dry feel
I always have a lot of issues with my hand skin during winter, because my skin gets super dry and cracks. I also don't like the feeling of greasy hands after I apply some moisturizer. This hand cream is the one that feels the most dry to me (even though it never feels perfectly dry, of course), and I also feel that it's the most effective when my skin is already cracked, red and swollen (it doesn't burn! and scarring seems to be faster).
