What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Petrolatum
EmollientPEG-8
HumectantUrea 15%
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantC13-15 Alkane
SolventDimethicone
EmollientSalicylic Acid 5%
MaskingPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMalic Acid 2%
BufferingPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingCetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate
EmulsifyingBehenyl Behenate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingPolyhydroxystearic Acid
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingBisabolol
AntioxidantBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientMandelic Acid
AntimicrobialSqualane
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPetrolatum, PEG-8, Urea 15%, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid 5%, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Malic Acid 2%, PEG-40 Stearate, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate, Behenyl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Bisabolol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Mandelic Acid, Squalane, Water, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientEthylhexyl Cocoate
EmollientHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientSodium Lactate
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingArginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantCholesterol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAlanine
MaskingCarnitine
CleansingGlycine
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Urea, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Lactate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Distarch Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Lactic Acid, Arginine Hcl, Sodium PCA, Cholesterol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Alanine, Carnitine, Glycine, Sodium Chloride, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Sorbitan Stearate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, 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.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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