CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Versus Elemis Peptide4 Thousand Flower Mask

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Versus Elemis Peptide4 Thousand Flower Mask

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

This wash off mask is made with Kaolin and Charcoal Powder for a rinse-off oil-control boost.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetyl Alcohol

Ceteareth-20

Petrolatum

Potassium Phosphate

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Carbomer

Dimethicone

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Cholesterol

Phenoxyethanol

Disodium EDTA

Dipotassium Phosphate

Tocopherol

Phytosphingosine

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2

Kaolin

Charcoal Powder

Betaine

Peat

Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate/Caprate

Betula Alba Juice

Lactic Acid

Chlorphenesin

Salix Nigra Bark Extract

Polyquaternium-39

Parfum

Propylene Glycol

Silica

Salix Daphnoides Bud/Leaf/Stem Extract

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Melilotus Officinalis Extract

Citric Acid

Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil

Potassium Sorbate

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil

Cistus Ladaniferus Oil

Helichrysum Angustifolium Flower Extract

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Kaolin, Charcoal Powder, Betaine, Peat, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate/Caprate, Betula Alba Juice, Lactic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Salix Nigra Bark Extract, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-39, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Silica, Salix Daphnoides Bud/Leaf/Stem Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Melilotus Officinalis Extract, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cistus Ladaniferus Oil, Helichrysum Angustifolium Flower Extract

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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.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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