Works for
1 of 1 advertised claim delivered
Moisturizing12 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Moisture Defence .”
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, trehalose.
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: squalane, caprylyl glycol.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: panthenol
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy1 strong irritant: AlcoholMedium risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~45–55%
Pistacia vera seed oil~5.3–6.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin
More about Pistacia vera seed oilDimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer~4.4–5.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to stabilize product formulations and create a nice product texture
More about Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymerEthoxydiglycol~3–3.6%
Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit extract~2.4–2.9%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A plant extract that might have some anti-oxidant effect in skin, but evidence is lacking
More about Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit extractButylene glycol~2–2.5%
- 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 glycol2-hydroxyethyl acrylate~1.8–2.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps create a nice product texture and uniform layer on the skin (when used in sunscreens, for example)
More about 2-hydroxyethyl acrylateGlycerin~1.6–1.9%
- 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 GlycerinAlcohol~1.2–1.5%
- Irritation risk
- High
Can be drying and contribute to skin irritation. Used in formulars to dissolve other ingredients, create a thinner product consistency or for its antibacterial properties
More about AlcoholSyzygium luehmannii fruit extract~0.95–1.2%
Olea europaea leaf extract~0.7–1.05%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A plant extract that might have some anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties but evidence for effectiveness in skin is missing
More about Olea europaea leaf extractYeast extract~0.6–0.95%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and might have some anti-oxidant and skin lightening properties. It can help calm down inflammation in skin
More about Yeast extractAcronychia acidula fruit extract~0.55–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Squalane~0.6–0.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An oil naturally present in skin. Works as an emollient to soften the skin and form a protective layer on its surface without a greasy feeling.
More about SqualaneDavidsonia pruriens fruit extract~0.5–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Ammonium glycyrrhizate~0.5–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Tocopheryl acetate~0.5–0.75%
- 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 acetateTrehalose~0.45–0.65%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A sugar that attracts water to the upper layer of the skin
More about TrehalosePapain~0.4–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- High
An enzyme extracted from papaya fruit. Can have an exfoliating effect on the skin. Can be irritating
More about PapainHydrolyzed vegetable protein~0.35–0.6%
Caffeine~0.3–0.6%
- 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 CaffeinePanthenol~0.3–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and can help improve skin barrier function
More about PanthenolSodium acryloyldimethyltaurate crosspolymer~0.3–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Caprylyl glycol~0.35–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
More about Caprylyl glycolCarbomer~0.3–0.55%
- 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 CarbomerPropylene glycol~0.3–0.55%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps oil and water mix together and can enhance the penetration of other ingredients into the skin. It can be irritating
More about Propylene glycolNiacinamide~0.3–0.5%
- 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 NiacinamideC12-14 pareth-12~0.25–0.5%
Tetrahydropiperine~0.25–0.45%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Polysorbate 60~0.25–0.45%
Zinc gluconate~0.2–0.35%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Typically used to stabilize the product formulations. It is a salt of a polyhydroxy acid (PHA) and in larger concentrations, can help shed the dead cells from the skin surface revealing smoother skin. It can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin. Might to be helpful against acne and clogged pores. Could be helpful in neutralizing free radicals, but solid research is missing. Due to the zinc content, might help calm down inflammation in skin
More about Zinc gluconatePhenoxyethanol~0.15–0.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolBiotin~0.15–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Might have some moisturising properties. Is not effective when applied topically beyond some moisturizing effect
More about BiotinCucumis sativus extract~0.1–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Sorbic acid~0.1–0.2%
Ingredient list view
Water, Pistacia vera seed oil, Dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, Ethoxydiglycol, Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit extract, Butylene glycol, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, Glycerin, Alcohol, Syzygium luehmannii fruit extract, Olea europaea leaf extract, Unknown, Yeast extract, Acronychia acidula fruit extract, Squalane, Davidsonia pruriens fruit extract, Ammonium glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl acetate, Trehalose, Papain, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, Caffeine, Panthenol, Unknown, Sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate crosspolymer, Caprylyl glycol, Carbomer, Propylene glycol, Niacinamide, C12-14 pareth-12, Tetrahydropiperine, Polysorbate 60, Zinc gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Biotin, Cucumis sativus extract, Unknown, Sorbic acid
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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.
| SkinstitutMoisture Defence - OilyYOUR PRODUCT | e.l.f.Happy Hydration Face Cream | dermaGEEKNourishing Facial Night Cream | CetaphilRestoring Water Gel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 82% | 82% | 81% |
| Price | — | $15.86 | $19.94 | $19.79 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 4 of 9 | 4 of 9 | 4 of 9 |
| Key difference | — | Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 | Dimethiconol | Anhydroxylitol |
| Irritancy | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
| Drying alcohol | Contains drying alcohol | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
Product summary
Based on the ingredients included, "Skinstitut - Moisture Defence - Oily" works well for moisturizing the skin. The formulation is based on a combination of good humectants and emollients. Both are needed to increase the skin hydration level. Humectants in this product (panthenol, glycerin, trehalose, butylene glycol and caprylyl glycol) 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 (squalane and caprylyl glycol) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
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 medium. 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 19 studies and safety reviews.
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