First Aid Beauty Sculpting Body Lotion Versus StriVectin Crepe Control ™ Tightening Body Cream

First Aid Beauty Sculpting Body Lotion Versus StriVectin Crepe Control ™ Tightening Body Cream

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Caffeine

Glyceryl Stearate

Ceramide NP

Panthenol

Squalane

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Colloidal Oatmeal

Allantoin

Lactobacillus Ferment

Sodium Phytate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Glucose

Tocopherol

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

C13-15 Alkane

Cetearyl Glucoside

Xanthan Gum

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caffeine, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Squalane, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Colloidal Oatmeal, Allantoin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Phytate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glucose, Tocopherol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ethylhexyl Stearoyl Polyhydroxystearate

Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate

Stearyl Alcohol

Propanediol

Coconut Alkanes

Dimethicone

Myristyl Nicotinate

Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract

Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane

Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Pyrus Malus Seed Oil

Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil

Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract

Prunus Avium Seed Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Actinidia Chinensis Seed Oil

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium PCA

Lactic Acid

PEG-40 Stearate

Parfum

Adenosine

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Proline

Polysilicone-11

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Polyisobutene

Hydroxyproline

Ceteareth-20

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Caprylyl Glycol

Aminomethyl Propanol

Sorbitan Oleate

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Limonene

Citral

Linalool

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexyl Stearoyl Polyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Stearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Coconut Alkanes, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Myristyl Nicotinate, Caffeine, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Pyrus Malus Seed Oil, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Prunus Avium Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Lactic Acid, PEG-40 Stearate, Parfum, Adenosine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Proline, Polysilicone-11, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Polyisobutene, Hydroxyproline, Ceteareth-20, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Limonene, Citral, Linalool

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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.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.

As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.

Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.

You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.

Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.

Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.

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%.

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.

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 is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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!

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.

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