Minimalist Ceramides 0.3% + Madecassoside Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Barriair cream

Minimalist Ceramides 0.3% + Madecassoside Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Barriair cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Extract and Madecassoside to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide Ng and Linoleic Acid to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Glycerin

Glyceryl Glucoside

Butylene Glycol

Trehalose

Saccharide Isomerate

Ursolic Acid

Aminobutyric Acid

Pentylene Glycol

Allantoin

Cholesterol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Madecassoside

Polyacrylate-13

Polyisobutene

Polysorbate 20

Glyceryl Stearate

Sucrose Distearate

Propylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Ceramide NP

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Triethanolamine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Carbomer

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Water, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Saccharide Isomerate, Ursolic Acid, Aminobutyric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Allantoin, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Madecassoside, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Stearate, Sucrose Distearate, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Carbomer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Propanediol

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Oxygen

Ceramide Ng

Linoleic Acid

Linolenic Acid

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

Colloidal Oatmeal

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract

Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose

Polyglucuronic Acid

Cetyl Alcohol

Sodium Polyacrylate Starch

Stearic Acid

Dipropylene Glycol

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Sodium Polyacrylate

Polypropylene

Polysorbate 80

Steareth-30

Lecithin

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Perfluorohexane

Chlorphenesin

Perfluoromethylcyclopentane

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Oxygen, Ceramide Ng, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Colloidal Oatmeal, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cholesterol, Polyglucuronic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Stearic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polypropylene, Polysorbate 80, Steareth-30, Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Perfluorohexane, Chlorphenesin, Perfluoromethylcyclopentane, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Cholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.

It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.

Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.

Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.

Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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.

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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