What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSqualane
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol Dicaprylate
EmollientC10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Triisostearin
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propanediol Dicaprylate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Glycerin, Triisostearin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine
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 ButterCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
