What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Calendula Officinalis Flower Water
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Callus
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Castanea Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCyclotetraglucose
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCarrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Jasminum Officinale Oil
Masking
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Water, Water, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Camellia Sinensis Callus, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Cyclotetraglucose, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Glycerin, Bakuchiol, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Rubia Cordifolia Root Extract
Skin ProtectingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Cyclotetrapeptide-24 Aminocyclohexane Carboxylate
Antioxidant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingWater, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rubia Cordifolia Root Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Lecithin, Ectoin, Cyclotetrapeptide-24 Aminocyclohexane Carboxylate, Sodium Gluconate, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide EOP is formally known as Ceramide 1.
It is naturally found in skin and part of the intercellular "mortar" holding everything together in your outermost layer.
EOP stands for a linked Ester fatty acid, a linked Omega hydroxy fatty acid, and the Phytosphingosine base.
What makes Ceramide EOP special is its ultra-long fatty acid chain; this unique structure allows it to bridge the lipid layers in your skin barrier to prevent water loss (something no other ceramide can do).
Low levels of Ceramide EOP have been found in people with eczema and psoriasis.
Using it together with other ceramides, cholesterol, and linoleic acid have been shown to meaningfully improve hydration and reduce water loss.
In one clinical study, a regimen using Ceramide EOP, NP, and AP led to significant symptom improvements in patients with eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin in just 4 weeks.
You'll usually see concentrations between 0.1-0.5% in formulations. Overall, this is a well-tolerated and safe ingredient for cosmetic use.
Learn more about Ceramide EOPCeramide 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 NPGuar gum is made from the guar bean, a plant native to India. It is considered a form of polysaccharide and naturally contains sugar.
This ingredient is often used to thicken a product or create a gel-like consistency.
It also has emulsion properties to help keep ingredients together.
Learn more about Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba GumEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Phytosphingosine is a phospholipid naturally found in our skin as a building block for ceramides.. It helps moisturize, soothe, and protect skin.
Phytosphingosine contributes to your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF). The NMF is responsible for hydration, a strong barrier, and plasticity. Our NMF decreases with age. Increasing NMF leads to more healthy and hydrated skin.
Studies show products formulated with NMF ingredients help strengthen our skin's barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier reduces irritation and increases hydration. Our skin barrier is responsible for having plump and firm skin. It also helps protect our skin against infection, allergies, and inflammation.
Fun fact: Phytosphingosine is abundant in plants and fungi.
More ingredients that help boost collagen in skin:
Learn more about PhytosphingosineThis is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
