Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Squalane to calm redness and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Cetearyl Alcohol

1,2-Hexanediol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Butylene Glycol

Glyceryl Stearate

Sorbitan Stearate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Panthenol

Tocopherol

Adenosine

Allantoin

Betaine

Caramel

Chlorphenesin

Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract

Glyceryl Olivate

Cetearyl Olivate

Hydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol

Propanediol

Pantolactone

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Tromethamine

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Sucrose

Mineral Salts

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Behenyl Alcohol

Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Stearic Acid

Sorbitan Olivate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Salvia Sclarea Oil

Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil

Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Allantoin, Betaine, Caramel, Chlorphenesin, Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol, Propanediol, Pantolactone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tromethamine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sucrose, Mineral Salts, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Oil

Colloidal Oatmeal 0.5%

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Dimethicone

Squalane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Phenoxyethanol

Caprylyl Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Ceramide NP

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Colloidal Oatmeal 0.5%, Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

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.

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

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.

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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