Allies of Skin Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm Versus Avène Skin Recovery Cream

Allies of Skin Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm Versus Avène Skin Recovery Cream

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

No key ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Squalane

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Methylsilanol Hydroxyproline Aspartate

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Nigella Sativa Seed Oil

Isomalt

Acacia Senegal Gum

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Canola Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Panthenol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Ethyl Macadamiate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Niacinamide

Ceramide NP

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Hyaluronic Acid

Lecithin

Hydrolyzed Oat Protein

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters

Adenosine Triphosphate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract

Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract

Phytol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8

Xanthan Gum

Silica

Dextran

Zea Mays Starch

Sodium Gluconate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Sodium Hydroxide

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Potassium Sorbate

Salicylic Acid

Malic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Methylsilanol Hydroxyproline Aspartate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Isomalt, Acacia Senegal Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Canola Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Panthenol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Ethyl Macadamiate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Hyaluronic Acid, Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Adenosine Triphosphate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract, Phytol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Dextran, Zea Mays Starch, Sodium Gluconate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Potassium Sorbate, Salicylic Acid, Malic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Paraffinum Liquidum

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cyclohexasiloxane

Serine

Carbomer

Tetrasodium EDTA

Triethanolamine

Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Serine, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethanolamine

Alternatives

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.

Glyceryl 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.

Squalane 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.

Water. 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!

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