Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer
The IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 44 ingredients (30 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.
The IMAGE skincare Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer is a moisturizer. Our analysis of its 44 ingredients (30 low-risk) rates it Excellent (92/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
Dry Skin
11/5
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin
1/0
Sensitive Skin
6/11
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1
|
|
Water
(Solvent) |
|
|
2
|
A
|
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
A
|
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
|
|
|
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
(Fragrance, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
|
|
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
(Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
|
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
(Plasticizer, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Di-C12-15 Alkyl Fumarate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Solvent) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
|
|
1
|
A
|
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
3
|
A
|
PEG-100 Stearate
(Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
|
|
citrus aurantium dulcis peel oil
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Erythritol
(Humectant, Moisturising) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
|
|
1
|
|
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
1
|
|
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Carbomer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
|
|
|
|
Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil
(Fragrance, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Tonic) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
3
|
|
Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
|
|
|
|
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
(Antioxidant) |
|
|
1
|
|
Mannitol
(Binding Agent, Flavoring Agent, Humectant, Binding, Masking, Moisturising, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
|
|
3
|
B
|
Sodium Lactate
(Buffering Agent, Exfoliant, Humectant, Keratolytic) |
|
|
|
|
Ceramide NS
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
ASCORBIC ACID
(Antioxidant, Buffering, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
|
Homarine HCl
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Biotin
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antiseborrhoeic) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
(Antioxidant) |
|
|
1
|
|
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
|
|
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
(Anti Seborrheic, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Oral Care, Skin Protecting, Uv Absorber) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
|
1
|
A
|
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
(Skin Conditioning) |
|
4
|
A
|
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
|
|
3
|
A
|
Potassium Sorbate
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
|
|
3
|
A
|
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking) |
|
|
3
|
B
|
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
|
|
6
|
|
Limonene
(Deodorant, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Allergens
|
7
|
|
Eugenol
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Masking, Tonic) |
Allergens
|
|
5
|
|
Linalool
(Fragrance, Deodorant, Masking) |
Allergens
|
|
7
|
|
Isoeugenol
(Flavoring Agent, Fragrance, Masking) |
Allergens
|
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinyl Palmitate
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, ASCORBIC ACID
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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