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First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion Versus BYOMA Smoothing Body Serum

First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion Versus BYOMA Smoothing Body Serum What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Lactic Acid Propanediol C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Silica Sodium Hydroxide Palmit

First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion Versus BYOMA Smoothing Body Serum

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Isopropyl Myristate

Butylene Glycol

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Succinic Acid

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Parfum

Geraniol

Limonene

Linalool

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Coumarin

Diglycerin

Benzyl Alcohol

Squalane

Sphingolipids

Zinc Gluconate

Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil

Sorbitan Isostearate

Polysorbate 60

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Succinic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Parfum, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Squalane, Sphingolipids, Ceramide NP, Zinc Gluconate, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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

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. 03Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
  4. 04As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
  5. 05It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
  6. 06A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
  7. 07Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  8. 08Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  9. 09Though 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.
  10. 10Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  11. 11What it does:
  12. 12Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  13. 13Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  14. 14Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  15. 15This 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.
  16. 16Note: 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.
  17. 17Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  18. 18Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  19. 19Your 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.
  20. 20Aquaporin-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.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side