Neutrogena Clear & Defend 0.5 % Salicylic Acid Moisturiser Versus Apolosophy Active+ Care & Barrier Face Cream
This acne moisturizer is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract to clear breakouts and refine skin texture.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Cetyl Lactate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Isostearate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Salicylic Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Cetyl Lactate, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol Isostearate, Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Benzalkonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Canola Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, PEG-100 Stearate, Canola Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Squalane, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactic Acid, Urea, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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 Water
