First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Rescue Barrier Balm With Dimethicone Versus La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 SPF 50

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Rescue Barrier Balm With Dimethicone Versus La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 SPF 50

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Dimethicone and Colloidal Oatmeal to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Dimethicone 1%

Water

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Glycerin

Pentylene Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Lauryl Laurate

Glyceryl Stearate

C12-16 Alcohols

Colloidal Oatmeal

Polyglyceryl-6 Octastearate

Glyceryl Behenate

Behenyl Alcohol

Ceramide NP

Centella Asiatica Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Phospholipids

Cetyl Palmitate

Sorbitan Palmitate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Carbomer

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Palmitic Acid

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Tromethamine

Phytosterols

Linoleic Acid

Sorbitan Oleate

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Sodium Phytate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Triolein

Propanediol

Glyceryl Dioleate

Dimethicone 1%, Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lauryl Laurate, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-16 Alcohols, Colloidal Oatmeal, Polyglyceryl-6 Octastearate, Glyceryl Behenate, Behenyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phospholipids, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Phytosterols, Linoleic Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triolein, Propanediol, Glyceryl Dioleate

Homosalate

Panthenol

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Octocrylene

Alcohol Denat.

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Triethanolamine

Dimethicone

Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid

PEG-8 Laurate

Zinc Gluconate

Madecassoside

Manganese Gluconate

Isohexadecane

Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2

Silica

2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol

Perlite

Drometrizole Trisiloxane

Poloxamer 338

Disodium EDTA

Copper Gluconate

Polysorbate 80

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

BHT

Tocopherol

Water, Homosalate, Panthenol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Alcohol Denat., Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, PEG-8 Laurate, Sorbitan Oleate, Zinc Gluconate, Madecassoside, Manganese Gluconate, Isohexadecane, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Silica, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Perlite, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Poloxamer 338, Disodium EDTA, Copper Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, BHT, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol

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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

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.

Sorbitan Oleate is a PEG-free emulsifier made by esterifying sorbitol with oleic acid.

You'll likely see it paired with Polysorbate 80 to create the right emulsification balance.

Typical use levels in formulas range from 2-10%.

The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as a cosmetic ingredient.

Since this ingredient is an ester of oleic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Oleic acid is a fatty acid that falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.

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!

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