Vaseline Intensive Care Nourishing Moisture Lotion Versus Wow Skin Science Shea Butter and Lactic Acid Body Lotion
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Petrolatum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Methylparaben
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Propylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearamide Amp
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Avena Sativa Straw Extract
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycol Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Petrolatum, Cetyl Alcohol, Tapioca Starch, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Stearamide Amp, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Avena Sativa Straw Extract, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningEthyl Olivate
Emollient
Olive Oil Ethylhexyl Esters
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Ceteareth-22
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Milk
Skin Conditioning
Cream
EmollientBHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Mel Extract
MoisturisingWater, Ethyl Olivate, Olive Oil Ethylhexyl Esters, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Ceteareth-22, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Palmitate, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Parfum, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Lactic Acid, Carbomer, Allantoin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Milk, Cream, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Mel Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 StearateIsopropyl Myristate is an emollient, thickening agent, and texture enhancer. It is created from isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid.
It is used to help other ingredients be better absorbed. It is also an emollient and may help soften and hydrate the skin.
The comedogenic rating of this ingredient depends on the concentration. Lower amounts results in a lower rating.
Isopropyl Myristate may not be fungal acne safe. It can potentially worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl MyristateParfum 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
