Curel Itch Defense Calming Lotion for Dry, Itchy Skin
Works for
1 of 1 advertised claim delivered
Moisturizing14 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Relieve dry, itchy skin with hydration.”
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:
glycerin.
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: dimethicone, cholesterol.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: ceramide ap, ceramide eop, ceramide np, panthenol, petrolatum, phytosphingosine
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy7 flagged ingredientsLow risk
Comedogenic3 ingredients rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale3 flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Glycerin~4–5.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinPetrolatum~3.7–5.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the most effective and the most studied occlusive ingredients that creates a protective layer on top of the skin preventing moisture loss
More about PetrolatumTapioca starch~2.8–4.2%
Cetearyl alcohol~2.1–3.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 2/5
A non-drying alcohol. Works as an emollient. Helps water and oil mix together and creates a nice product texture
More about Cetearyl alcoholPeg/ppg-17/6 copolymer~1.8–2.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Dimethicone~1.5–2.3%
- 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 DimethiconeBehentrimonium chloride~0.05–0.1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Isopropyl palmitate~1–1.6%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and create a thicker product consistency
More about Isopropyl palmitatePpg-15 stearyl ether~0.9–1.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Help soften the upper layer of the skin and create a nice product consistency
More about Ppg-15 stearyl etherPropylene glycol isostearate~0.5–1.15%
Panthenol~0.4–1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and can help improve skin barrier function
More about PanthenolIsopropyl alcohol~0.35–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- High
A drying alcohol. Can increase skin's sensitivity and cause dryness and irritation
More about Isopropyl alcoholMethylparaben~0.15–0.3%
Benzalkonium chloride~0.05–0.1%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps water and oil mix together and works as a cleansing agent (detergent). Also used as a preservative. Can be irritating
More about Benzalkonium chlorideEthylparaben~0.2–0.4%
Olea europaea fruit oil~0.3–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An emollient that helps soften the skin but is not effective for restoring its barrier function. Might be helpful to calm down inflammation
More about Olea europaea fruit oilCetyl-pg hydroxyethyl palmitamide~0.2–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Bis-methoxypropylamido isodocosane~0.2–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Butyrospermum parkii butter~0.15–0.65%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
A great moisturising ingredient that softens the skin and reduces water loss from its upper layer. It also can be helpful in protecting skin from free radicals
More about Butyrospermum parkii butterSodium lauroyl lactylate~0.15–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps water and oil mix together
More about Sodium lauroyl lactylateTocopheryl acetate~0.15–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
More about Tocopheryl acetateCeramide np~0.15–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
More about Ceramide npCeramide ap~0.1–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
More about Ceramide apCholesterol~0.1–0.45%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that is naturally found in skin
More about CholesterolPhytosphingosine~0.1–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid that is naturally present in skin. It might help in repairing skin barrier function and has anti-bacterial effect
More about PhytosphingosineCarbomer~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps create a thicker or gel-like product texture. It is not a surfactant but can be used in gentle cleansing formulations
More about CarbomerXanthan gum~0.05–0.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a thicker product consistency
More about Xanthan gumCeramide eop~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
More about Ceramide eopIngredient list view
Water, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Tapioca starch, Cetearyl alcohol, Peg/ppg-17/6 copolymer, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium chloride, Isopropyl palmitate, Ppg-15 stearyl ether, Propylene glycol isostearate, Panthenol, Isopropyl alcohol, Methylparaben, Benzalkonium chloride, Ethylparaben, Olea europaea fruit oil, Cetyl-pg hydroxyethyl palmitamide, Bis-methoxypropylamido isodocosane, Butyrospermum parkii butter, Sodium lauroyl lactylate, Tocopheryl acetate, Ceramide np, Ceramide ap, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Carbomer, Xanthan gum, Ceramide eop
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Product summary
Based on the ingredients included, "Curel - Itch Defense Calming Lotion for Dry, Itchy Skin" works well for moisturizing the skin. This moisturizer uses a good combo of humectants and emollients. These both types of ingredients are essentials for improving the skin hydration and keeping the skin barrier healthy. Humectants in this product (panthenol and glycerin) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Emollients in this formulation (ceramide eop, ceramide np, phytosphingosine, petrolatum and cholesterol) 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
- Another benefit is that this moisturizer contain ceramides (phytosphingosine 0.10% - 0.40%, ceramide np 0.15% - 0.55%, ceramide eop 0.05% - 0.25% and ceramide ap 0.10% - 0.40%). Ceramides are an important part of our natural skin barrier. The ceramides used in skincare are synthetic or come from plants. They help soften the skin and can help "fill the gaps" in the skin barrier, keeping the skin hydrated and resilient for longer.
- This formulation also uses an effective concentration of panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) - about 0.40% - 1.00%. Panthenol helps strengthen the skin barrier, improve hydration and reduce inflammation in skin.
Irritation risk
There are some common irritants in this product, including ingredients that do not have benefits for the 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.
Price
The product retails for 7.97CA$ in Canada, from 8.69$ up to 11.49$ in the United States and for 24.21£ in the United Kingdom.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 12 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyoljournals.sagepub.com
- 4Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Isopropyl Isostearatejournals.sagepub.com
- 5
- 6Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulationspdfs.semanticscholar.org
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