The Body Shop Body Butter Versus Derma E Vitamin E Lavender & Neroli Skin Smoothing Shea Body Lotion
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingParfum
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Triethyl Citrate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Linalool, Coumarin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Limonene, Caramel, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ng, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol 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
