Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer Versus Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream with Microbiome Technology
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Hyaluronic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientTrisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Isostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Lysate Extract
Humectant
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Asparagopsis Armata Extract
Skin Protecting
Algae Extract
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sorbitol
Humectant
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Glycine
Buffering
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingDecarboxy Carnosine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Trisiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sucrose, Isostearyl Palmitate, PEG-100 Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Algae Extract, Caffeine, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyethylene, Glyceryl Stearate, Salicylic Acid, Sorbitol, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Glycine, Inulin, Tromethamine, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Phytosphingosine, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Squalane, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Silica, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 42090, CI 19140, CI 77289, CI 77891, Mica
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
