Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk versus Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter .

Published on November 21, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both general moisturizers. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain common allergens, fragrances and silicones

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

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 Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk

Shop

Buy Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter

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

Chemical UV Filter
AHA
Retinoid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (2)
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (4)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

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

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 1.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter 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

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 2.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 3.

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

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 5.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 5.

4
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 9.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 6.

5
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

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 10.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 8.

6
What it does:
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. 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.

Peg-100 Stearate helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. It helps prevent oil and water from separating in a product. By binding oil and water, it helps remove dirt and oil to be rinsed away.

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 11.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 9.

7
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 19.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 12.

8
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 25.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 18.

9
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.

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk contains this as ingredient number 27.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

19% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
57% are disliked or very disliked
14% have no rating yet
22% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
56% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk 37 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Aries's avatar

Aries

1 year ago · Normal Skin
Review

Worth the money
When I was younger, Ambi and Palmers were my go to products. This fade milk helped keep my skin smooth and even for decades. Of...

Worth the money
When I was younger, Ambi and Palmers were my go to products. This fade milk helped keep my skin smooth and even for decades. Of course, when I got older, I needed something more aggressive, which is the only reason I don’t use it any more.

Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter 18 ingredients

Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 33 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Palmer's Anti-Dark Spot Fade Milk.

See 33 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Cetaphil Advanced Relief Cream with Shea Butter.

See 50 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...