The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan Versus Three Ships Beauty Dream Bio-Retinol + Shorea Butter Night Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPPG-24-Glycereth-24
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Betaine
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingFructose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
P-Anisic Acid
MaskingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Propanediol, Betaine, Beta-Glucan, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Xylitol, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, P-Anisic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Olus Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Lactate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Bidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Squalane, Olus Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Lactate, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C12-16 Alcohols, Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
