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Skin science article

Tatcha The Indigo Cream Versus Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream

Tatcha The Indigo Cream Versus Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Avena Sativa Kernel Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated

Tatcha The Indigo Cream Versus Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream

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

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Squalane

Dimethicone

Propanediol

Glycerin

Diisostearyl Malate

Oryza Sativa Bran Wax

Behenyl Alcohol

Camellia Sinensis Leaf

Indigofera Tinctoria Leaf Extract

Polygonum Tinctorium Leaf/Stem Extract

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Sophora Japonica Flower Extract

Oryza Sativa Germ Oil

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Inositol

Sericin

Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringeninchalcone

Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sorbitan Tristearate

Trihydroxystearin

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Beheneth-20

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Ethylhexylglycerin

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

CI 77891

Mica

Water, Squalane, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diisostearyl Malate, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Behenyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Indigofera Tinctoria Leaf Extract, Polygonum Tinctorium Leaf/Stem Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Inositol, Sericin, Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringeninchalcone, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbitan Tristearate, Trihydroxystearin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Beheneth-20, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, Mica

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isopropyl Isostearate

Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Cetearyl Alcohol

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Pentylene Glycol

Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil

Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate

Cholesterol

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Ceramide NP

Phytosphingosine

Ceteareth-20

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Tocopherol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Sodium Hydroxide

Citric Acid

Carbomer

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Ximenia Americana Seedate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Ceteareth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter isn't fungal acne safe.
  10. 10Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  11. 11Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  12. 12Though 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.
  13. 13Carbomer 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.
  14. 14Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
  15. 15It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
  16. 16Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
  17. 17A 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.
  18. 18Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is one of the most researched botanical extracts in skincare with decades of studies backing its effects on inflammation, collagen, and the skin barrier.
  19. 19That research keeps pointing back to the same four triterpenoid saponins: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.
  20. 20These compounds allow centella to dial back inflammation, encourage the skin to build and hold onto collagen, support the barrier and hydration, and bring solid antioxidant activity to protect against signs of aging.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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