Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Hyaluronate Serum Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Hyaluronate Serum Versus First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters and Squalene to strengthen the skin barrier 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

Propanediol

Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters

Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate

Glycerin

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Squalene

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

Phytosteryl Macadamiate

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Gluconolactone

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Phytosterols

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Citric Acid

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Propanediol, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Squalene, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Gluconolactone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytosterols, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol

Colloidal Oatmeal 0.5%

Stearic Acid

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Squalane

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylyl Glycol

Allantoin

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium EDTA

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf 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.

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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