Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Water Cream

Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Water Cream

This barrier-repair day moisturizer is formulated around Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Silica to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to calm redness and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Propanediol

Glycerin

Silica

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Phenoxyethanol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Cetyl Alcohol

Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil

Stearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Xylitylglucoside

Parfum

Polyacrylamide

Anhydroxylitol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Xylitol

Butylene Glycol

Dimethiconol

Tocopherol

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Decylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Laureth-7

Diospyros Mespiliformis Leaf Extract

Glucose

Maltodextrin

Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract

Sanicula Europaea Extract

Tromethamine

Citric Acid

Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Maris Sal

Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Silica, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Xylitylglucoside, Parfum, Polyacrylamide, Anhydroxylitol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xylitol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Decylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Diospyros Mespiliformis Leaf Extract, Glucose, Maltodextrin, Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Sanicula Europaea Extract, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Maris Sal, Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Sea Salt

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Dipropylene Glycol

Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone

Polysilicone-11

Laureth-8

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Glucose, Maltodextrin, Water, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sea Salt, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Laureth-8, Phenoxyethanol

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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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%.

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.

Glucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.

Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.

It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.

Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.

Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.

In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Tocopherol 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.

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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