Skin science article
Allies of Skin Multi Nutrient & Dioic Renewing Cream Versus Augustinus Bader The Light Cream
Allies of Skin Multi Nutrient & Dioic Renewing Cream Versus Augustinus Bader The Light Cream This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and strengthen the skin barrier. This oil-contro
Allies of Skin Multi Nutrient & Dioic Renewing Cream Versus Augustinus Bader The Light Cream
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Niacinamide to fade the look of dark spots and strengthen the skin barrier.
This oil-control moisturizer is formulated around Cellulose and Squalane to balance excess oil and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Lactobacillus Ferment
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Niacinamide
Octadecenedioic Acid
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Squalane
Ribose
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Mel
Zinc PCA
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Caffeine
Allantoin
Superoxide Dismutase
Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture
Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Phospholipids
Sodium Hyaluronate
Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole
Bisabolol
Ceramide NP
Hyaluronic Acid
Sphingolipids
Tocopherol
Rosmarinyl Glucoside
Caffeyl Glucoside
Gallyl Glucoside
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane
Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane
Maltodextrin
Dextran
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Xanthan Gum
Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lactobacillus Ferment, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Octadecenedioic Acid, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Ribose, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Mel, Zinc PCA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caffeine, Allantoin, Superoxide Dismutase, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Bisabolol, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Sphingolipids, Tocopherol, Rosmarinyl Glucoside, Caffeyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Maltodextrin, Dextran, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Xanthan Gum, Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Maris Aqua
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Cellulose
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Propanediol
Glyceryl Glucoside
Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Lecithin
Sodium Phytate
Citric Acid
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Sodium Citrate
Sodium Hydroxide
Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Extract
Porphyridium Cruentum Extract
Phragmites Communis Extract
Poria Cocos Extract
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract
Sodium Benzoate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Alanyl Glutamine
Arginine
Oligopeptide-177
Phenylalanine
Potassium Sorbate
Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil
Sodium Chloride
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Water, Glycerin, Maris Aqua, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Propanediol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Squalane, Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Extract, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Oligopeptide-177, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sisymbrium Irio Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
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.
Maltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.