Naturium Niacinamide Gel Cream 5% Versus First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Water Cream

Naturium Niacinamide Gel Cream 5% Versus First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Water Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and fade the look of dark spots.

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to calm redness and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Propanediol

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract

Alteromonas Ferment Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sea Water

Hydroxyacetophenone

Glycerin

Isohexadecane

Sorbitan Oleate

Butylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Polysorbate 80

Hexadecene

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Tocopherol

Water, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sea Water, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Sorbitan Oleate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Hexadecene, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol

Glucose

Maltodextrin

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Sea Salt

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Dipropylene Glycol

Polysilicone-11

Laureth-8

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Glucose, Maltodextrin, Water, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sea Salt, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipteryx Odorata Seed Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Laureth-8, 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.

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.

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).

Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Coconut fruit juice comes from the liquid inside of young coconuts. It has emollient, humectant, and skin conditioning properties.

Bceause it naturally contains sugars, amino acids, and minerals, coconut fruit juice can help attract and hold water in the skin.

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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