Tatcha The Water Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Firming Collagen Cream With Peptides + Niacinamide

Tatcha The Water Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Firming Collagen Cream With Peptides + Niacinamide

This pore-care moisturizer is formulated around Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to refine the look of pores and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate

Dimethicone

Propanediol

Glycerin

Diglycerin

Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract

PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Gold

Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract

Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Pistacia Lentiscus Gum

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Citrate

Mica

Tin Oxide

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Tocopherol

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dipropylene Glycol

Parfum

Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

CI 77891

Water, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Gold, Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Mica, Tin Oxide, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, CI 77891

Niacinamide

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Palmitic Acid

Stearic Acid

Glyceryl Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Cetearyl Alcohol

Panthenol

Colloidal Oatmeal

Collagen

Squalane

Ceramide NP

Hexapeptide-9

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Allantoin

Saccharomyces Ferment

Caprylyl Glycol

Lauroyl Lysine

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Colloidal Oatmeal, Collagen, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Hexapeptide-9, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin, Saccharomyces Ferment, Caprylyl Glycol, Lauroyl Lysine, Butylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide

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.

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.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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