SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture Versus Face Reality Skincare Cran-Peptide Cream

SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture Versus Face Reality Skincare Cran-Peptide Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Tocopherol and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cetyl Palmitate

Stearic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Palmitic Acid

Tocopherol

Dimethicone

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Glyceryl Stearate

Sorbitol

CI 77163

Phenoxyethanol

PEG-100 Stearate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

PEG-75 Stearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Carbomer

Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate

Allantoin

Panthenol

Ceteth-20

Triethanolamine

Caprylyl Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Propylene Glycol

Steareth-20

Disodium EDTA

Myristic Acid

Betaine

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Laminaria Saccharina Extract

Glucose

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract

Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract

Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract

Retinyl Palmitate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Sodium Benzoate

Zinc Sulfate

Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Urtica Dioica Extract

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Betula Alba Leaf Extract

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Cinnamal

Pyridoxine Hcl

Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Palmitate, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitol, CI 77163, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, PEG-75 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Ceteth-20, Triethanolamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Steareth-20, Disodium EDTA, Myristic Acid, Betaine, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Glucose, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Zinc Sulfate, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Cinnamal, Pyridoxine Hcl

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Stearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Olivate

Alcohol Denat.

Sorbitan Olivate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Totarol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Maltodextrin

Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Alcohol Denat., Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Totarol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Maltodextrin, Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Butylene Glycol

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 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.

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!

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.

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