Physiogel Red Soothing AI Body Lotion Versus Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Nourishing Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Urea to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPalmitamide Mea
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSqualane
EmollientSarcosine
Skin ConditioningAcetamide Mea
HumectantSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingC10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantFructose
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingUrea
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPCA
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMaltose
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingAlanine
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingTrehalose
HumectantGlycine
BufferingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingThreonine
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningGlucose
HumectantProline
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine, Dimethicone, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium PCA, Fructose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, PCA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Maltose, Ceramide NP, Serine, Alanine, Sodium Chloride, Trehalose, Glycine, Allantoin, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Arginine, Threonine, Tropolone, Glucose, Proline
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineCaprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCeramide 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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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