Skin science article
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Versus skyn ICELAND Cloud Cream
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Versus skyn ICELAND Cloud Cream This calming moisturizer is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Squalane to calm redness and hydrate skin. This calming moisturizer is formulated around Bisabolol and Sod
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration Versus skyn ICELAND Cloud Cream
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Squalane to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Bisabolol and Sodium Hyaluronate 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
Hydrogenated Didecene
Butylene Glycol
Bisabolol
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Angelica Archangelica Root Water
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Glyceryl Caprylate
Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Canola Oil
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetyl Ricinoleate
Sorbitan Stearate
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Triceteareth-4 Phosphate
Silica
Zea Mays Starch
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Laureth-3
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Perfluorodecalin
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Polyacrylate
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Sodium Benzoate
Buddleja Davidii Extract
Glycosphingolipids
Sucrose Palmitate
Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract
Trideceth-6
Biotin
Water, Hydrogenated Didecene, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Bisabolol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Angelica Archangelica Root Water, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Canola Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Sorbitan Stearate, Stearic Acid, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Silica, Zea Mays Starch, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Laureth-3, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Perfluorodecalin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Buddleja Davidii Extract, Glycosphingolipids, Sucrose Palmitate, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract, Trideceth-6, Xanthan Gum, Biotin
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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.
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.
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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
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.