Skin science article
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Night Moisturizer
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Night Moisturizer This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate ski
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream Versus La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Night Moisturizer
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Dimethicone
Glyceryl Stearate
C10-18 Triglycerides
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Lactobacillus Ferment
Jojoba Esters
Cetyl Alcohol
Niacinamide
Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera
Acacia Decurrens Flower Cera
Algae Extract
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Sodium Hyaluronate
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Sodium Lactate
Butylene Glycol
PEG-75 Stearate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Ceteth-20
Steareth-20
Polyglycerin-3
Carbomer
Polysorbate 20
Phenoxyethanol
Xanthan Gum
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Acacia Decurrens Flower Cera, Algae Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Sodium Hyaluronate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Lactate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-75 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Polyglycerin-3, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Propanediol
Pentylene Glycol
Squalane
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Pyridoxine Hcl
Zea Mays Starch
Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
Allantoin
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Hydroxyacetophenone
Caprylyl Glycol
Citric Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Tocopherol
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Polysorbate 20, Zea Mays Starch, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Allantoin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though 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.
This 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.
Because 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).
In 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!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
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.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
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!
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.