Works for
1 of 1 advertised claim delivered
Moisturizing7 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Daily use lotion is designed to hydrate and repair rough skin, and prevent cracked skin from coming back.”
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
lactic acid, sodium lactate.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: caprylic/capric triglyceride, dimethicone.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: paraffinum liquidum, urea
ExfoliationNot advertised by the brand · 2 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: lactic acid.
Evens skin toneNot advertised by the brand · 1 ingredient credited for this claimStrong support
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: lactic acid
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
Anti-agingNot advertised by the brand · 1 ingredient credited for this claimModerate support
This product contains lactic acid. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy4 flagged ingredientsLow risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Dimethicone2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish
More about DimethiconeCaprylic/capric triglyceride~23–34%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
More about Caprylic/capric triglycerideHydrogenated castor oil~5–7.5%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A plant oil that can help soften the skin. It might be helpful in calming down inflammation, but solid research is lacking. Is often used in lip products to create the needed product consistency
More about Hydrogenated castor oilLactic acid~4.5–6.8%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome)
More about Lactic acidMethoxy peg-22/dodecyl glycol copolymer~3.8–5.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Methylparaben~0.15–0.3%
Paraffinum liquidum~2.5–3.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
More about Paraffinum liquidumOzokerite~1.4–2.1%
Peg-2 hydrogenated castor oil~1–1.5%
Peg-7 hydrogenated castor oil~0.8–1.2%
Propylparaben~0.2–0.4%
Sodium lactate~0.35–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin. Is often used to adjust the pH level of the product
More about Sodium lactateSorbitan isostearate~0.15–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps oil and water mix together
More about Sorbitan isostearateUrea~0.1–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Naturally present in skin (urea makes up about 7% of natural moisturizing factors in skin). Attracts water to the upper layer of the skin. Also has a positive effect on the skin barrier beyond the humectant action. Can enhance penetration of other ingredients. Is an exfoliating ingredient when used in high concentrations
More about UreaWater~0.1–0.35%
Ingredient list view
Dimethicone, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Hydrogenated castor oil, Lactic acid, Methoxy peg-22/dodecyl glycol copolymer, Methylparaben, Paraffinum liquidum, Ozokerite, Peg-2 hydrogenated castor oil, Peg-7 hydrogenated castor oil, Propylparaben, Sodium lactate, Sorbitan isostearate, Urea, Water
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Product summary
"Cetaphil - Cracked Skin Repair Lotion" is a well-rounded moisturizing product. As we expect from a proper moisturizer, the formula includes a combo of effective humectants and emollients. These are the two different types of ingredients that are essential for improving the skin hydration and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Urea, lactic acid and sodium lactate in this product (humectants) attract water molecules to the upper layer of the skin (the water comes from the outside air or from the deeper layers of the skin if the air is dry). Emollients in this formulation (paraffinum liquidum, caprylic/capric triglyceride and hydrogenated castor oil) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Ingredient callouts
- Exfoliating acids (lactic acid 4.30% - 6.50%). In this concentration, they will have a noticeable exfoliating effect. They can also have an anti-aging effect and stimulate collagen production in a long-run. Lactic Acid can also help to attract water to the upper layer (works as a humectant).
Irritation risk
This product does not contain known common irritants and is suitable for sensitive skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be low. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 9 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyoljournals.sagepub.com
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acidncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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