Skin science article
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Versus Bliss Drench & Quench For Dry Skin Rich Water Cream For All-Day Moisture
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Versus Bliss Drench & Quench For Dry Skin Rich Water Cream For All-Day Moisture This calming moisturizer is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Squalane to calm redness and hydrate skin. What's inside K
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Versus Bliss Drench & Quench For Dry Skin Rich Water Cream For All-Day Moisture
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Squalane to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 0.5%
Water
Stearic Acid
Glycerin
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Glyceryl Stearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Dimethicone
Squalane
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Xanthan Gum
Allantoin
Sodium Hydroxide
Tetrasodium EDTA
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Ceramide NP
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Colloidal Oatmeal 0.5%, Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Cyclopentasiloxane
Propanediol
Saccharide Isomerate
Tocopherol
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Glycine Soja Oil
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract
Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Silybum Marianum Extract
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract
Amylopectin
Ceramide Ng
Sodium Levulinate
Caprylyl Methicone
Methyl Palmitate
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Silica
Pentylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Sodium Citrate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Chlorphenesin
Citric Acid
Sodium Chloride
Benzyl Alcohol
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Silybum Marianum Extract, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract, Amylopectin, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Levulinate, Caprylyl Methicone, Methyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silica, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Benzyl Alcohol
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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.
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.
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.
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!