Skin science article
Tropic Skincare Skin Feast Nourishing Moisturiser Versus The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer
Tropic Skincare Skin Feast Nourishing Moisturiser Versus The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. What's inside Key Ingre
Tropic Skincare Skin Feast Nourishing Moisturiser Versus The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Squalane
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Propanediol
Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Saccharide Isomerate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Rosa Canina Seed Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Glyceryl Stearate
Cetearyl Glucoside
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
Beta-Glucan
Ectoin
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Vaccinium Corymbosum Seed Oil
Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Pectin
Sclerotium Gum
Sodium Gluconate
Tocopherol
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Lecithin
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Reseda Luteola Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Sodium Levulinate
Levulinic Acid
Sodium Anisate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Boswellia Carterii Gum Oil
Citric Acid
Sodium Citrate
Xanthan Gum
Citral
Citronellol
Linalool
Limonene
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Saccharide Isomerate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Rosa Canina Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Beta-Glucan, Ectoin, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Vaccinium Corymbosum Seed Oil, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Pectin, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Reseda Luteola Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Anisate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil Expressed, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Boswellia Carterii Gum Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Citral, Citronellol, Linalool, Limonene
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Betaine
Butylene Glycol
Phenoxyethanol
Benzyl Alcohol
Carbomer
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Sodium Hydroxide
Ethylhexylglycerin
Tocopheryl Acetate
Dehydroacetic Acid
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Phenethyl Alcohol
Acetyl Hexapeptide-37
Maltodextrin
Pentapeptide-48
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-37, Maltodextrin, Pentapeptide-48
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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.
This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.
Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage.
Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin. Just know this one's based on experience and not evidence.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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.
This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
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!