Simple Skincare Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser Versus Aiken Prebiotic Hydra Plus Moisturiser
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingDimethicone
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Pantolactone
HumectantBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientPotassium Carbonate
BufferingBisabolol
AntioxidantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingSodium Lactate
BufferingSerine
MaskingSorbitol
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Cetyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Pantolactone, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Potassium Carbonate, Bisabolol, Pentylene Glycol, Urea, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Serine, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientBisabolol
AntioxidantAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentAspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialWater, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Carbomer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Bisabolol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Trideceth-6, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Maltodextrin, Aspergillus Ferment, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Lactobacillus, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
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