Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Versus Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Versus Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Intensive Soothing Repair Cream

This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

PEG-8 Beeswax

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sorbitan Stearate

Sambucus Nigra Oil

PEG-60 Almond Glycerides

Silica

Avena Sativa Kernel Oil

Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Wax

Glycerin

Lecithin

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Linalool

Lavandula Hybrida Oil

Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Geraniol

Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax

Rosa Multiflora Flower Wax

Tocopherol

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil

Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen

Limonene

Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil

Parfum

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Menthol

Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil

Citral

Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-8 Beeswax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Sambucus Nigra Oil, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Silica, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Wax, Glycerin, Lecithin, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Linalool, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Geraniol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Rosa Multiflora Flower Wax, Tocopherol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen, Limonene, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Parfum, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Menthol, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Citral, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract

Water

Dipropylene Glycol

Propanediol

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Phytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Butylene Glycol

Dicaprylyl Ether

Niacinamide

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Pentylene Glycol

Synthetic Beeswax

Diglycerin

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Vinyldimethicone

1,2-Hexanediol

Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Cetearyl Olivate

Allantoin

Asiaticoside

Madecassic Acid

Asiatic Acid

Adenosine

Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8

Sorbitan Olivate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Surfactin

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Isopentyldiol

Dextrin

Dextran

Sorbitan Isostearate

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

CI 19140

CI 42090

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Phytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dicaprylyl Ether, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Pentylene Glycol, Synthetic Beeswax, Diglycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Vinyldimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Glycerin, Allantoin, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Surfactin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Isopentyldiol, Dextrin, Dextran, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140, CI 42090

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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.

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.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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.

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