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First Aid Beauty 5 In 1 Face Cream SPF 30 Versus Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer

First Aid Beauty 5 In 1 Face Cream SPF 30 Versus Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer This brightening day moisturizer is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin. This barrier-repair mois

First Aid Beauty 5 In 1 Face Cream SPF 30 Versus Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer

This brightening day moisturizer is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 5.6%

Octocrylene 7.5%

Water 4.8%

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Caprylyl Methicone

Copaifera Officinalis Resin

Phenyl Methicone

Enteromorpha Compressa Extract

Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum

Bisabolol

Alpha-Arbutin

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Hydroxylated Lecithin

Polysilicone-11

Methicone

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Isohexadecane

Polysorbate 60

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 5.6%, Octocrylene 7.5%, Water 4.8%, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Methicone, Copaifera Officinalis Resin, Phenyl Methicone, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Bisabolol, Alpha-Arbutin, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Hydroxylated Lecithin, Polysilicone-11, Methicone, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol

Water

Squalane

Pentylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Stearyl Alcohol

Hyaluronic Acid

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Ng

Ceramide NP

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Carnosine

Phytosterols

Caprylyl Glycol

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11

1,2-Hexanediol

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Carnosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phytosterols, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, 1,2-Hexanediol

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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.

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.

It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.

This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.

Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.

A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

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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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

01

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. 03Oatmeal flour is created by grinding down the kernels of oats. Oatmeal helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin.
  4. 04Oatmeal kernel flour has abrasive, or exfoliating, properties.
  5. 05Learn all about the skin benefits of colloidal oatmeal here.
  6. 06This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
  7. 07Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
  8. 08In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
  9. 09Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
  10. 10Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
  11. 11While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
  12. 12This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
  13. 13Caprylic/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.
  14. 14Though 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.
  15. 15In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
  16. 16While 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.
  17. 17Fractionated 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.
  18. 18This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
  19. 19This 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…
  20. 20Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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