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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream versus e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US .

Last updated on January 10, 2024. Published on July 21, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants, niacinamide and peptides

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots

Free From

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

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

General Moisturizer American Brand United States
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

Shop

Buy Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream

Shop

Buy Holy Hydration! Face Cream

Starts at $12.00

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

Exfoliators
Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (6)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators (2)
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger (3)
Rosacea
Eczema
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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

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin 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 Glycerin

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream contains this as ingredient number 5.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US contains this as ingredient number 21.

4
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream contains this as ingredient number 15.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
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.

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream contains this as ingredient number 36.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US contains this as ingredient number 30.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream contains this as ingredient number 37.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US contains this as ingredient number 31.

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

65% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
19% are disliked or very disliked
5% have no rating yet
31% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
53% are disliked or very disliked
6% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream 37 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 reviews

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream 32 ingredients

1.5 /5
from 1 review
Aybab_207's Avatar'
Apr 28, 2023

You‘ll get pimples if you have oily- combo skin
Every time when I used this, I got pimples the other day. Fragrance ist too strong and doesn’t hydrate much. I don’t recommend it.

You‘ll get pimples if you have oily- combo skin
Every time when I used this, I got pimples the other day. Fragrance ist too strong and doesn’t hydrate much. I don’t recommend it.

Region: US
YiShin's Avatar'
Apr 28, 2024

Did nothing for my skin (I have combo acne). It pills and does not help my acne or hydration. It lasts a long time for such a cheap price though. Would NOT recommend or repurchase. The ingredients on skinsort show that the formula isn’t...

Did nothing for my skin (I have combo acne). It pills and does not help my acne or hydration. It lasts a long time for such a cheap price though. Would NOT recommend or repurchase. The ingredients on skinsort show that the formula isn’t very good either.

Pilling
Doesn't Work
Region: US

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream US.

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