Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion Versus Cetaphil Pro Restoraderm Eczema Soothing Moisturizer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPetrolatum
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingDimethicone
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycol Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCetyl Alcohol
EmollientMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
AbsorbentParfum
MaskingMethylparaben
PreservativeHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylparaben
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Stearamide Amp
Coumarin
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycol Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Parfum, Methylparaben, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Stearamide Amp, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, Caramel
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientDisodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 Disulfate
CleansingCeteareth-20
CleansingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentHydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium PCA
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDimethiconol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Disodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 Disulfate, Ceteareth-20, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Arginine, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethiconol, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 StearateHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilWater. 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