Skin science article
Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief Versus Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream
Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief Versus Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. This barrier-repair moisturizer is
Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief Versus Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Propanediol
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Dipropylene Glycol
Niacinamide
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Cetearyl Olivate
Polysorbate 60
Glyceryl Oleate
Octyldodecanol
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Sorbitan Oleate
Sorbitan Olivate
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Glycerin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Butylene Glycol
Caprylyl Glycol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Pentylene Glycol
Squalane
Urea
Xanthan Gum
Sorbitan Isostearate
1,2-Hexanediol
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Disodium EDTA
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Magnesium Chloride
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycine Soja Sterols
Lactic Acid
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Glycosyl Trehalose
Acetyl Glutamine
Oleic Acid
Sodium PCA
Serine
Ceramide NP
Glycine
Water, Propanediol, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Oleate, Octyldodecanol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Sorbitan Oleate, Sorbitan Olivate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Urea, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Disodium EDTA, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Lactic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycosyl Trehalose, Acetyl Glutamine, Oleic Acid, Sodium PCA, Serine, Ceramide NP, Glycine
Isopropyl Isostearate
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Cetearyl Alcohol
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate
Cholesterol
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Phytosphingosine
Ceteareth-20
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Sodium Hydroxide
Citric Acid
Carbomer
Chlorphenesin
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.
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%.
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).
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
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.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
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.