Provence Beauty Deep Bleu Cloud Night Moisturizer Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer

Provence Beauty Deep Bleu Cloud Night Moisturizer Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Coco-Caprylate

Arachidyl Alcohol

Propanediol

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Pentapeptide-59

Squalane

Hyaluronic Acid

Morus Alba Leaf Extract

Palmitoyl Pine Bark Extract

Helichrysum Arenarium Flower Extract

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Prunus Domestica Seed Oil

Tanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Behenyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Glucoside

Cetyl Alcohol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Phenethyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Maltodextrin

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

1,2-Hexanediol

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Sodium Polyacrylate Starch

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Pentapeptide-59, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Palmitoyl Pine Bark Extract, Helichrysum Arenarium Flower Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Tanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Maltodextrin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Dimethicone

Urea

Avena Sativa Kernel Flour

Caprylyl Glycol

Allantoin

Persea Gratissima Oil

N-Butyl Alcohol

Carbomer

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Sodium Hydroxide

Ceramide NP

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Phenoxyethanol

Tetrasodium EDTA

Water, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin, Persea Gratissima Oil, N-Butyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA

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.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

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%.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

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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