This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Petrolatum and Cholesterol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Leaf Water and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-33
CleansingBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Parfum
Masking
Cholesterol
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Polyacrylic Acid
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Palmitate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Tri-PPG-3 Myristyl Ether Citrate
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-33, Beeswax, Parfum, Cholesterol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, BHT, Glyceryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Oleate, Polyacrylic Acid, Glyceryl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Linolenate, Tri-PPG-3 Myristyl Ether Citrate, Sorbitan Laurate, Trideceth-6, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Citric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingTremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Magnesium Chloride
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-25
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Chitosan
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Silica, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Propanediol, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Pyridoxine Hcl, Yeast Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Ceteareth-25, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Behenic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Eos, Chitosan, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl 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 AlcoholCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
