Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer Versus Naturally Serious After-Dark Natural Peptide Sleeping Cream

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer Versus Naturally Serious After-Dark Natural Peptide Sleeping Cream

This day moisturizer is formulated around Squalene to hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Colloidal Oatmeal to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Dicaprylyl Ether

Glycerin

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Squalene

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Phenoxyethanol

Sorbitan Oleate

Caprylyl Glycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Triethanolamine

Beeswax

Tocopherol

Disodium EDTA

Stearic Acid

Myristyl Alcohol

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Persea Gratissima Oil

Water, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate Se

C9-12 Alkane

Betaine

Inositol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Undecane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Propanediol

Squalane

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Punica Granatum Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Apium Graveolens Seed Extract

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract

Angelica Archangelica Root Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Colloidal Oatmeal

Allantoin

Ceramide NP

Sodium Hydroxide

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Phytate

Sorbitan Trioleate

Xanthan Gum

Tridecane

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Pentylene Glycol

Phenethyl Alcohol

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

Citronellol

Geraniol

Parfum

Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, C9-12 Alkane, Betaine, Inositol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Undecane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Squalane, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Apium Graveolens Seed Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Angelica Archangelica Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Colloidal Oatmeal, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate, Sorbitan Trioleate, Xanthan Gum, Tridecane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Parfum

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.

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.

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!

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