Skin science article
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream Versus Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream Versus Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This hydrating over
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream Versus Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Face Mask
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This hydrating overnight mask is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Trehalose to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Glycerin
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Olus Oil
Cetyl Lactate
Propanediol
C12-16 Alcohols
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Palmitic Acid
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer
Squalene
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Xanthan Gum
Phytosteryl Sunflowerseedate
Glycine Soja Extract
Pentylene Glycol
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Citric Acid
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Tocopherol
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phytosterols
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Gluconolactone
Phenethyl Alcohol
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Carbomer
Potassium Sorbate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olus Oil, Cetyl Lactate, Propanediol, C12-16 Alcohols, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer, Squalene, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phytosteryl Sunflowerseedate, Glycine Soja Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytosterols, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Gluconolactone, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Cetyl Alcohol
Dimethicone
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
PEG-8
Glycereth-26
Sucrose
Sorbitan Stearate
PEG-100 Stearate
Trehalose
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Gelidiella Acerosa Extract
Olea Europaea Fruit Extract
Triticum Vulgare Bran Extract
Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Cetearyl Alcohol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
PEG-75
Caffeine
Pantethine
Sorbitol
Butylene Glycol
Oryzanol
Bisabolol
Panthenol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Caprylyl Glycol
Hexylene Glycol
Potassium Hydroxide
Dextrin
Disodium EDTA
CI 14700
CI 19140
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-8, Glycereth-26, Sucrose, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Trehalose, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare Bran Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, PEG-75, Caffeine, Pantethine, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Oryzanol, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Phytosterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Dextrin, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140
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.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
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.
Phytosterols are plant-derived sterols (you can think of them as the plant world's version of cholesterol). In cosmetics, this ingredient is usually sourced from soybean, rice bran, shea, sunflower, and other seed oils.
The main actors in this group are β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol (the CIR covers 27 phytosterols).
They work by fitting perfectly into your stratum corneum's lipid matrix since they're structurally similar to cholesterol. Here, they reinforce your skin's barrier.
One small in vivo human study showed topical soybean phytosterols sped up barrier recovery within three days on tape-stripped skin.
Broader research credits them with:
Formulation use typically sit under 5%.
Testing in soy-allergic subjects found no sensitization signals, but be sure to patch test if you are unsure or have existing allergies.
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.
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!