The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer Versus iNNBEAUTY PROJECT 10 + 10 Moisturizer with 10% Vitamin C + 10% Peptide Complex + Ceramides

The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer Versus iNNBEAUTY PROJECT 10 + 10 Moisturizer with 10% Vitamin C + 10% Peptide Complex + Ceramides

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking 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

Dimethicone

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Tapioca Starch

Cetearyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Alcohol

Squalane

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Tridecyl Trimellitate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Linoleic Acid

Phytosterols

Glucose

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Behenyl Alcohol

Polyisobutene

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Hydroxyacetophenone

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Arachidyl Glucoside

Carrageenan

Sorbitan Laurate

Sodium Phytate

C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester

C18-36 Acid Triglyceride

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tapioca Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide NP, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Linoleic Acid, Citric Acid, Phytosterols, Glucose, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyisobutene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Glucoside, Carrageenan, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Phytate, C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride

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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.

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.

In cosmetics, it plays several roles:

The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.

This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.

It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.

Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.

This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.

Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.

Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.

The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).

In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.

So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.

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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate is a synthetic emollient and "skin-feel" ingredient that spreads well and leaves a non-sticky finish with high gloss.

In makeup, it also doubles as a pigment-wetting agent for better color payoff.

It's a well-vetted ingredient for safety and does not penetrate into skin due to its large molecule size.

Because it's a long-chain fatty acid ester, this ingredient may not be fungal acne or Malassezia safe.

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!

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