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Skin science article

The INKEY List Omega Water Cream Versus CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25

The INKEY List Omega Water Cream Versus CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25 This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and balance excess oil. This barrier-repair day moisturizer is formulated around

The INKEY List Omega Water Cream Versus CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF 25

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and balance excess oil.

This barrier-repair day moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Propanediol

Betaine

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Magnesium Sulfate

Glycosphingolipids

Glycolipids

Sodium Benzoate

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Oleic Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

Polyglycerin-3

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Magnesium Sulfate, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Sodium Benzoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Oleic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-3

Homosalate

Octocrylene

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Phenoxyethanol

Stearic Acid

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Caprylyl Glycol

Palmitic Acid

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Tocopherol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Myristic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Carbomer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Ceramide EOP

Water, Homosalate, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Niacinamide, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide EOP

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.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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.

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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. 03Caprylic/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.
  4. 04Though 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.
  5. 05In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
  6. 06While 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.
  7. 07Fractionated 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.
  8. 08This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
  9. 09This 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…
  10. 10Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  11. 11What it does:
  12. 12Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  13. 13Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  14. 14Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  15. 15This 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.
  16. 16Note: 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.
  17. 17Polyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
  18. 18You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
  19. 19Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
  20. 20The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

Read side by side