What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPropanediol
SolventPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPCA
HumectantCholesterol
EmollientArginine
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTropolone
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Saccharide Isomerate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, PCA, Cholesterol, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tropolone, Carbomer, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlucose
HumectantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPoria Cocos Sclerotium Extract
AstringentPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetyl Alcohol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Panthenol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Glucose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Ceramide EOP, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Poria Cocos Sclerotium Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, 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.
Caprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerCeramide 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 NPCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate yet.
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