Philosophy Hope In A Jar Barrier Restore Cream Versus Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingCetyl Stearate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsostearyl Isostearate
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSqualane
EmollientMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-4
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSilanetriol
Calcium Chloride
AstringentCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behenyl Alcohol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Arachidyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Cetyl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isostearyl Isostearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Squalane, Maltodextrin, Polyglutamic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Polysorbate 60, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lactobacillus, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Silanetriol, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientPropanediol
SolventJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Squalene
EmollientZinc PCA
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Seed Extract
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAmylopectin
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-3
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantLithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingGlucose
HumectantAcetyl Heptapeptide-4
HumectantC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Squalane, Propanediol, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Triheptanoin, Niacinamide, Saccharide Isomerate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Squalene, Zinc PCA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Allantoin, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Acetyl Glutamine, Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Amylopectin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Folic Acid, Oligopeptide-3, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Hexapeptide-11, Tocopherol, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Lactic Acid, Glucose, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, 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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water