The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum Versus Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Serum
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Asiaticoside to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This calming serum is formulated around Allantoin and Asiaticoside to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingHexyldecanol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientXylitylglucoside
HumectantCeteth-20 Phosphate
CleansingAnhydroxylitol
HumectantEthyl Linoleate
EmollientAsiaticoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningNaringenin
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningPanthenyl Triacetate
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
MaskingHydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantBrassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientSphingolipids
EmollientPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningEpigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
AntioxidantGallyl Glucoside
AntioxidantPropyl Gallate
AntioxidantXylitol
HumectantZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingStearic Acid
CleansingDicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingIsoceteth-20
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
AntioxidantDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeP-Anisic Acid
MaskingPhytic Acid
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialWater, Propanediol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Hexyldecanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xylitylglucoside, Ceteth-20 Phosphate, Anhydroxylitol, Ethyl Linoleate, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Naringenin, Cyanocobalamin, Panthenyl Triacetate, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Bisabolol, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Sphingolipids, Phospholipids, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Propyl Gallate, Xylitol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Dicetyl Phosphate, Isoceteth-20, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Phytic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantEthoxydiglycol
HumectantBetaine
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-4 Oleate
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningIsopentyldiol
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingC12-13 Alketh-9
EmulsifyingSodium Surfactin
CleansingDextran
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Betaine, Allantoin, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Glycolipids, Asiatic Acid, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, 1,2-Hexanediol, Isopentyldiol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C12-13 Alketh-9, Sodium Surfactin, Dextran, CI 19140, CI 42090
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Asiatic Acid is one of the four main actives found in Centella Asiatica. Its headline job is stimulating collagen.
Lab tests on human skin cells show Asiatic Acid tells your skin to make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and bouncy.
It also calms inflammation and acts as an antioxidant so it can help skin heal faster, rebuild itself, and repair a damaged barrier.
And on naming, even though "acid" is in the name, it's nothing like an AHA or BHA exfoliant. It's a gentle firming and soothing ingredient that supports your skin barrier.
Concentration-wise, Asiatic Acid is potent at very low doses and usually shows up as a small fraction of a broader centella extract.
Analyses of centella material put Asiatic Acid reported in the range of 0.2-3% of the extract.
This ingredient is non-sensitizing and guinea pig sensitization testing also found it to be a weak sensitizer. That means the risk of acquiring contact sensitivty is quite low.
Allergic contact dermatitis does exist but is also very rare; documented cases tend to involve prolonged use on broken skin plus co-sensitization to fragrance ingredients.
Learn more about Asiatic AcidAsiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It's the reason centella-based products have a strong reputation for repairing and calming skin, along with its sibling compound Madecassoside.
Research from 2016-2025 supports its role in:
You'll usually find this in concentrations between 0.2-5%.
Learn more about AsiaticosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinMadecassic Acid is one of the four star actives in Centella Asiatica. In skincare, it earns its keep as a calming and repairing ingredient.
It works through the same core pathways as the rest of the centella family.
First, it turns down inflammation so it helps with things like redness and general upset skin.
Second, it acts as an antioxidant which means it helps protect skin from daily stress and damage.
And third, it nudges the skin to make more collagen and rebuild its support structure.
That combination is why the whole Centella family is known for calming skin, strengthening the barrier, fading redness, and giving anti-aging benefits.
It's worth being honest about the evidence here; a lot of the strongest data is on the full extract or a Madecassoside/Asiaticoside rather than Madecassic Acid alone. Reviewers also note more long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm the full potential.
Concentration-wise, this ingredient is rarely used pure and usually shows up as part of a standardized centella extract where reported content ranges from 0.02-3.06%.
Finished products typically run somewhere in the 0.1-10% range depending on the format.
In real-world tolerance tests, a repeat-insult patch test on an eye lotion with 0.2% Centella extract showed no irritation or allergic contact dermatitis in 54 subjects. And a mascara with 0.5% Madecassoside caused neither irritation nor sensitization in 109 subjects.
Allergy risk is very low, but not zero. Centella and its constituents are classified as weak contact sensitizers and some rare cases of allergic contact dermatitis exist.
Learn more about Madecassic AcidPropanediol 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 PropanediolWater. 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