Skin science article
The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer Versus Anua 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream
The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer Versus Anua 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hy
The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer Versus Anua 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Centella Asiatica Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Propanediol
Polysilicone-11
C10-18 Triglycerides
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Cetyl Alcohol
Phenoxyethanol
Ceramide NP
Polyacrylate-13
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Ethylhexylglycerin
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Laureth-12
Sorbitan Isostearate
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Citric Acid
Sodium Hydroxide
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Propanediol, Polysilicone-11, C10-18 Triglycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ceramide NP, Polyacrylate-13, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Laureth-12, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Panthenol
Butylene Glycol
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Behenyl Alcohol
Octyldodecanol
Phenyl Trimethicone
Vinyldimethicone
1,2-Hexanediol
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Pentylene Glycol
Caprylyl Methicone
Centella Asiatica Extract
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Betaine
C14-22 Alcohols
Phytosterols
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Dimethiconol
Glyceryl Caprylate
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Glyceryl Glucoside
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Sodium Phytate
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Dipropylene Glycol
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Linolenic Acid
Sphingolipids
Phosphatidylcholine
4-Terpineol
Allantoin
Ectoin
Hyaluronic Acid
Squalane
Lecithin
Asiaticoside
Escin
Madecassic Acid
Asiatic Acid
Beta-Sitosterol
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Glycine
Glutamic Acid
Serine
Alanine
Lysine
Arginine
Proline
Threonine
Water, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Behenyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Vinyldimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Methicone, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Betaine, C14-22 Alcohols, Ceramide NP, Phytosterols, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethiconol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Sodium Phytate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Linolenic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sphingolipids, Phosphatidylcholine, 4-Terpineol, Allantoin, Ectoin, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Lecithin, Asiaticoside, Escin, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Beta-Sitosterol, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Proline, Threonine
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.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
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.
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.
On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
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!