EltaMD AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer
Works for
2 of 2 advertised claims delivered
MoisturizingNiacinamide, Caprylic/capric triglyceride + 10 moreStrong evidence
“AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer”
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, sodium hyaluronate.
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: niacinamide
Evens skin toneNiacinamideStrong evidence
“Brightens and improves skin tone.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: niacinamide
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 · Niacinamide, Tocopherol + 1 moreStrong evidence
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains niacinamide.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
Anti-blemishNot advertised by the brand · Niacinamide, Salix alba bark extract + 1 moreStrong evidence
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: niacinamide. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy6 flagged ingredientsLow risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Cyclopentasiloxane~6.5–9.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A silicone that helps improve the product texture and spreadability. Can absorb oil creating a short-term mattifying effect on the skin
More about CyclopentasiloxaneEthylhexyl isononanoate~4–5.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and improve the product consistency
More about Ethylhexyl isononanoateNiacinamide~2.8–4.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Is proven to be effective in reducing blemishes, evening out skin tone and helping to improve lines and wrinkles. It helps the skin to repair sun damage, calm down inflammation and keep maintain good levels of moisture. The concentration of about 2% is effective for supporting the skin barrier and evening out the skin tone. Concentration of 4-6% is better for helping with acne and balancing the sebum production
More about NiacinamideDimethicone~2.2–3.4%
- 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 DimethiconeLauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone~1.8–2.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of silicone that helps to soften upper layer of the skin and create a nice product texture
More about Lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethiconeSalix alba bark extract~1.3–1.9%
- Irritation risk
- High
A plant extract that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. It contains a compound salicin that can theoretically be converted into salicylic acid that, in turn, helps reduce inflammation in skin, but the evidence of effectiveness in skin is lacking and the extract is usually not used in a concentration that would enable an exfoliating effect
More about Salix alba bark extractSodium chloride~1.3–2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to stabilize mixtures of oil and water, and create thicker, gel-like product textures
More about Sodium chlorideCaprylic/capric triglyceride~1.1–1.7%
- 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 triglycerideButylene glycol~0.85–1.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Butylene glycolPhenoxyethanol~0.5–1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolDimethicone/peg-10/15 crosspolymer~0.45–1.1%
Glycerin~0.4–1%
- 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 GlycerinAllantoin~0.3–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
More about AllantoinCapryloyl glycine~0.35–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps oil and water mix together, preserve cosmetic products, and attract water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Capryloyl glycineUndecylenoyl glycine~0.35–0.75%
Caffeine~0.15–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals. Can have a dehydration effect that might somewhat decrease the look of puffy eyes
More about CaffeineDisodium edta~0.1–0.45%
Salicornia herbacea extract~0.1–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Sodium hydroxide~0.1–0.35%
Sodium hyaluronate~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin
More about Sodium hyaluronateAscorbyl palmitate~0.05–0.15%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C, it is more stable and can penetrate the skin better than L-Ascorbic acid. It is effective in protecting the skin from free radicals, as well as evening the skin tone, but is less effective in stimulating collagen production compared to L-Ascorbic acid.
More about Ascorbyl palmitateTocopherol~0.05–0.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself
More about TocopherolIngredient list view
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl isononanoate, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, Salix alba bark extract, Sodium chloride, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Butylene glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/peg-10/15 crosspolymer, Glycerin, Allantoin, Capryloyl glycine, Undecylenoyl glycine, Caffeine, Disodium edta, Salicornia herbacea extract, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium hyaluronate, Ascorbyl palmitate, Tocopherol
Compare prices
Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.
Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| EltaMDAM Therapy Facial MoisturizerYOUR PRODUCT | Dr Sam'sFlawless Moisturiser | CeraVePM Facial Moisturising Lotion with Ceramides for Normal to Dry Skin - UK Version | Up&UpPM Facial Moisturizing Lotion - - up & up™ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 96% | 90% | 90% |
| Price | $51.00 | $73.24+$22.24 | $17.04−$33.96 | — |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 6 of 8 | 5 of 8 | 5 of 8 |
| Key difference | — | Anhydroxylitol | Ceramide Eop | Ceramide Eop |
| Irritancy | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
Product summary
Based on the ingredient list, "EltaMD - AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer" can work well for skin moisturization. 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. Glycerin, piptadenia colubrina peel extract, sodium hyaluronate and butylene glycol 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 (dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane and ethylhexyl isononanoate) 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
- We particularly like that there is a good concentration of niacinamide (niacinamide 2.80% - 4.20%) in this moisturizer. Niacinamide is a well-studied multi-tasking active. It is a great ingredient to have in a moisturizer. It is stable, and can work well in almost any hydrating formulation. There is solid evidence that niacinamide can help support skin barrier, regulate oil production and reduce acne and clogged pores. It also helps to fight photodamage and help improve the skin tone, reducing pigmentation marks.
- In addition, this moisturizer contains Allantoin (0.40% - 1.00%). Allantoin is helpful in wound-healing and can help restore the skin barrier faster. It might also be able to improve scars, but the evidence is not very strong for this.
Irritation risk
There are actives in this product that can be irritating. 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 from 35.10$ up to 39.00$ in the United States.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 13 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Dimethicone Copolyoljournals.sagepub.com
- 6Efficacy and Safety of White Willow Bark (Salix alba) Extractonlinelibrary.wiley.com
Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.