Eczema is quite common in babies, which is why Mustela has developed a special cream to treat your baby’s problems (from birth to infancy), with nourishing ceramides as the main ingredient, in its Stelatopia emollient formula.
Plus, Mustela’s cream is free of steroids, fragrances, parabens, or phthalates, and is allergy-free, making it completely safe for your little one.
By using it a few times a day, Stelatopia quickly and dramatically improves the baby’s rash. It is excellent for instantly soothing dry, itchy, and inflamed skin. In fact, it works so well that some adults have even started using it on their own dry, chapped skin.
Although the formula doesn’t feature the kind of rich, velvety texture found in ultra-nourishing creams, it more than makes up for the lack of sensory experience with its restorative properties. The balm is fluid and light, sinking into the skin almost instantly and leaving no residue.
There are formulas that hydrate and formulas that heal, and this one does both, which makes sense since it’s designed for eczema-prone skin. This is due to avocado extract (a next-generation biomimetic, essentially a proprietary ingredient that mimics the skin’s barrier function) and sunflower oil distillate, the two key assets on the ingredient list.
But since we like to know more about the ingredients of each formula, we are going to analyze its INCI, and thus be able to rate the cream accordingly. If you are looking for a cream specially formulated for atopic skin, take a look at this post with the Best Creams for Atopic Skin that you can find right now.
Index
Mustela Stelatopia Emollient Balm Analysis
- Glycerin : Tested in Clarins Men’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men .
- Petrolatum : Tested in Clinique For Men Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men .
- Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil : Analyzed in NeoStrata’s Bionic wrinkle cream .
- Cyclopentasiloxane : Tested in L’Oreal Men Expert’s Vita Lift 5 Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men .
- Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride : Tested in Clarins Men’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men as Caprylic / capric glycerides.
- Sucrose Distearate : Analyzed on Avène’s eye contour as Sucrose Stearate.
- Dextrin : Tested in the Clinique Smart eye contour .
- Copernicia Cerifera Cera : Analyzed in Shiseido Men’s Active Energizing anti-wrinkle cream for men .
- Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables : Tested in Shiseido Men’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men .
- Prunus Domestica Seed Extract : Tested in the Clinique Smart eye contour .
- 1,2-Hexanediol : Analyzed in Mercadona’s Sisbela eye contour .
- Sucrose Stearate : Analyzed on Avène’s eye contour .
- Candelilla Cera : It is a multifunctional complex of natural wax esters derived from the structure of the waxy leaves of Candelilla bushes. Increases the residence time of natural emollients on the skin and helps provide a protective and moisture resistant environment for the skin.
- Squalane : Tested in Clinique For Men’s Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men .
- Glyceryl Caprylate : Analyzed in Fiori di Cipria’s anti-wrinkle cream for men .
- Hydroxyethyl Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer : Analyzed in Fiori di Cipria’s anti-wrinkle cream for men .
- Xanthan Gum : Tested in L’Oreal Men Expert’s Vita Lift 5 Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Men .
- Glucose : Analyzed in the Lancaster Skin Therapy eye contour .
- Sorbitol : Analyzed in Mercadona’s Sisbela eye contour .
- Citric Acid : Analyzed in Fiori di Cipria’s anti-wrinkle cream for men .
- Polysorbate 60 : Analyzed in Fiori di Cipria’s anti-wrinkle cream for men .
- Sorbitan Stearate : Tested in Bulldog’s Sensitive Moisturizer .
- Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract : Analyzed in Nezeni Cosmetics anti-wrinkle cream as Avocado Oil.
- Ceramide Np : Analyzed in Endocare’s Cellage anti-wrinkle cream .
- Phytosphingosine : Analyzed in the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair eye contour .
- Sodium Hydroxide : Analyzed in Fiori di Cipria’s anti-wrinkle cream for men .
Mustela Stelatopia Emollient Balm analysis summary
As usual, glycerin and petroleum jelly inaugurate the list of ingredients, which together with hydrogenated vegetable oil and a couple of other emollients, work together to reinforce the skin’s barrier, maintain moisture and minimize water loss.
Sunflower oil distillate is one of the main protagonists of this emollient formula, which with its soothing properties provides essential lipids to keep the skin’s hydration barrier intact. In addition, it also reduces the adhesion of bacteria by preventing the formation of its protective layer, and prevents inflammation.
The plum extract and the candelilla and carnauba waxes enhance the emollient properties of the cream, hydrating, replenishing and soothing the sensations of the skin that irritate and itch.
It contains squalane, a great antioxidant, regenerating and antibacterial ingredient, although it is not in the proportion that I would like. And after several emollient, softening, moisturizing, and hydrating ingredients, avocado extract finally appears, which preserves cell richness, hydrates and protects the skin barrier, daily damaged in skin prone to atopy. Unfortunately, its concentration is minimal, as are its effects.
The same goes for the ceramides it includes. The skin barrier keeps pollutants out and good things in. When compromised (either by the elements or by other culprits like over-exfoliation), the skin is easily dry and irritated. Ceramides are a lipid that forms this barrier, so naturally we want them to be present in a higher proportion.
Finally, phytosphingosine, a natural component in the epidermis, acts as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, protecting the fragile atopic skin.
It is a good cream, as it has a few beneficial assets, but most are not in the concentration that they should be in order to benefit from them. And to all this we must add two irritating ingredients, which should not be in a formula specially designed for babies.
Alternative
If you are looking for something else to take care of your atopic skin, I recommend that you take a look at the formulation of Akento Cosmetics cream, a treatment that has more benefits for skin with eczema.
With few ingredients it manages to deeply hydrate, nourish intensely, protect and alleviate the most annoying signs that characterize atopic skin, it even reduces itching. And all this is achieved without using any ingredient that can harm the skin.
