Onsen Secret Cuticle Conditioner Serum Versus Onyx Professional Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Thujopsis Dolabrata Branch Extract
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAloe Barbadensis Leaf
MaskingSodium Stearate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Lycium Barbarum Fruit
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingThujopsis Dolabrata Branch Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Sodium Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Hydrolyzed Lycium Barbarum Fruit, Retinyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCera Alba
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCalcium Pantothenate
Hydrolyzed Silk
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeUrea
BufferingParfum
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantRetinol
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantCholecalciferol
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cera Alba, Stearic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Urea, Parfum, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Retinol, Ascorbic Acid, Cholecalciferol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCarthamus tinctorius seed oil comes from safflower, one of humanity's oldest crops.
Safflower seed oil contains a high percentage of linoleic acid and oleic acid. It also contains Vitamin E. These three components are effective moisturizers.
Vitamin E helps nourish your skin's lipid barrier. It is also a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, or unstable molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Due to its high fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Thoughout history, safflower has been used for dying fabrics and in food as a saffron substitute.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilGlycerin (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 a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic Acid