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Amlactin Daily Moisturizing Lotion Versus First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion

Amlactin Daily Moisturizing Lotion Versus First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Ammonium Lactate Paraffinum Liquidum Glycerin Dimethicone Steareth-21 Glyceryl Stearate Se Steare

Amlactin Daily Moisturizing Lotion Versus First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ammonium Lactate

Paraffinum Liquidum

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Steareth-21

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Steareth-2

Stearyl Alcohol

Xanthan Gum

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Ammonium Lactate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Steareth-21, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Steareth-2, Stearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate

Lactic Acid

Propanediol

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Silica

Sodium Hydroxide

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Urea

Allantoin

Colloidal Oatmeal

Ceramide NP

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Sodium Phytate

Sodium PCA

Cetearyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Benzoate

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Lactic Acid, Propanediol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Urea, Allantoin, Colloidal Oatmeal, Ceramide NP, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Sodium Phytate, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.

As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.

Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
  4. 04Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
  5. 05Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
  6. 06Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  7. 07Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
  8. 08However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  9. 09Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
  10. 10In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  11. 11While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  12. 12Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
  13. 13Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
  14. 14However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's…
  15. 15Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  16. 16What it does:
  17. 17Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  18. 18Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  19. 19Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  20. 20This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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