D'Alba Peptide No Sebum Repair Cream Versus Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream

D'Alba Peptide No Sebum Repair Cream Versus Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Barrier Face Cream

This oil-control moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to balance excess oil and strengthen the skin barrier.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP and Ceramide AP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Squalane

1,2-Hexanediol

Niacinamide

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Carbomer

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

Artemisia Annua Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Oryza Sativa Extract

Saccharomyces Ferment

Arginine

Octyldodecanol

Panthenol

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Pullulan

Tuber Magnatum Extract

Calamine

Centella Asiatica Extract

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Pentylene Glycol

Ceramide NP

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Betaine Salicylate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Porphyridium Cruentum Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Glucose

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid

Tocopherol

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Artemisia Annua Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Arginine, Octyldodecanol, Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pullulan, Tuber Magnatum Extract, Calamine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Alkanna Tinctoria Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Betaine Salicylate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Glucose, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Stearyl Alcohol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Glyceryl Caprylate

Cetyl Alcohol

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-19

Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Aspartic Acid

PCA

Glycine

Alanine

Serine

Valine

Proline

Threonine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Phenylalanine

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Plant Ash

Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Niacinamide, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-19, Althaea Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Plant Ash

Reviews

Be the first to review

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.

It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.

Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.

A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.

Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.

One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.

Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.

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%.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

Cetearyl 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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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!

Similar Comparisons