Sephora Collection Hydrating Cica Express Repair Care Cream Versus Biologique Recherche La Grande Crème

Sephora Collection Hydrating Cica Express Repair Care Cream Versus Biologique Recherche La Grande Crème

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Centella Asiatica Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Panthenol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Propanediol

Behenyl Alcohol

Cocoglycerides

Octyldodecanol

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Undecane

Oryza Sativa Starch

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Zinc PCA

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Tridecane

Glyceryl Stearate

Jojoba Esters

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearyl Alcohol

Chlorphenesin

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cetearyl Glucoside

Xanthan Gum

Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

O-Cymen-5-Ol

Sorbitan Isostearate

Tocopherol

Polyglycerin-3

Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Propanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Cocoglycerides, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Undecane, Oryza Sativa Starch, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Zinc PCA, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tridecane, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Polyglycerin-3

Methylpropanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Ceteareth-20

Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate

Sorbitan Stearate

Cera Alba

Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract

Soy Isoflavones

Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract

Jasminum Officinale Oil

Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract

Yeast Extract

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl

Sodium Gluconate

Sodium Lactate

Proline

Carum Carvi Seed Oil

Mentha Piperita Oil

Cetyl Palmitate

Lecithin

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Maltodextrin

Butylene Glycol

Carbomer

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate

Alcohol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Triethanolamine

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Polysorbate 20

Phenylpropanol

Phenethyl Alcohol

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Limonene

Water, Octyldodecanol, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Methylpropanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Undecane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-20, Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Cera Alba, Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Juice Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Jasminum Officinale Oil, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Yeast Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Lactate, Proline, Carum Carvi Seed Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Cetyl Palmitate, Cocoglycerides, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Tridecane, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene

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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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

Cocoglycerides is made from the mono, di and triglycerides of coconut oil. It is an emollient and emulsifer.

Emollients are a type of moisturizer. They create a thin film on top of the skin. This film prevents moisture from escaping, keeping the skin hydrated.

Emulsifiers prevent ingredients from separating. Examples of this include oils and water, which naturally do not mix. Emulsifiers helps elongate the shelf life of a product. They also help the product stay consistent in texture.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil is created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil in order to give it more stability. This process also raises the melting point of vegetable oil. In cosmetics, it is an emollient.

Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.

The term "Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil" is an umbrella term and can refer to a variety of vegetable oils and blends of: sunflower oil, soybean oil, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and more.

Due to the differences in vegetables, the benefits may vary.

Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).

It is:

You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.

This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.

Regarding fungal acne: In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Tridecane is a lightweight emollient and fragrancing ingredient. It is a paraffin and often called a silicone alternative.

According to official INCI guidelines, this ingredient is used to give a light odor to raw materials. It is often used as a starter ingredient to create parfum.

This ingredient can be derived from palm oil, or coconut oil. It is also naturally found in certain species of organisms.

According to the NOAA, this ingredient can cause skin sensitivity with prolonged use. However, this warning is taken from the Coast Guard and no studies have been done on this in relation to cosmetics.

Tridecane is not water soluble.

Undecane is an emollient and helps create a lightweight base for products.

Is is not soluble in water and naturally occurring in some species.

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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