Pond's Dry Skin Cream — Efficacy 3.6/5.0, Safety 3.2/5.0 | DemythSkin
++++
[ DemythSkin Verdict ]
Pond's Dry Skin Cream
Pond's

Pond's Dry Skin Cream

MoisturizerHydration
Efficacy
Basic
3.6 / 5.0
Safety
Irritant
3.2 / 5.0
System Verdict
Cheap, old-school moisture bomb — but the fragrance load and comedogenic ester keep it from being a clean win. The efficacy score is driven by a strong occlusive base of mineral oil, petrolatum, and waxes plus glycerin for real water retention, but it loses points because the formula is mostly a basic barrier seal with no true treatment actives, and the heavy fragrance package plus isopropyl palmitate make it less elegant and less broadly suitable.
Active Ingredients Detected
A Tier: Good BasicsProven Results
PetrolatumGlycerinTocopherol
B Tier: Supporting IngredientsPromising Ingredients
Mineral OilCeresinEuphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) WaxPEG-4 DilauratePEG-4 LauratePEG-4Butylated HydroxytolueneBeta-CaryophylleneIsoeugenyl AcetateLinalyl AcetateMethyl Salicylate
D Tier: Potential IrritantsBe Cautious
Fragrance (Parfum)Alpha-Isomethyl IononeAmyl CinnamalCananga Odorata Oil/ExtractCitronellolCitrus Aurantium Peel OilCoumarinEugenolGeraniolHydroxycitronellalJuniperus Virginiana OilLimoneneLinalool
What Each Ingredient Does
Water (Aqua)
solvent
Mineral Oil
occlusive emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
emollient ester
Petrolatum
occlusive barrier seal
Glycerin
humectant
Stearic Acid
fatty acid thickener
Ceresin
structuring wax
Glyceryl Stearate
emulsifier
Cetyl Alcohol
emollient fatty alcohol
Sorbitan Oleate
emulsifier
Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax
wax thickener
Phenoxyethanol
preservative
Triethanolamine
pH adjuster
Fragrance (Parfum)
fragrance
Laureth-23
solubilizer
Carbomer
gel thickener
PEG-4 Dilaurate
emulsifier
PEG-4 Laurate
emulsifier
Disodium EDTA
chelator
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
preservative
PEG-4
solubilizer
Tocopherol
antioxidant
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
antioxidant
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
fragrance allergen
Full Ingredient List (INCI)

Water (Aqua), Mineral Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Ceresin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Fragrance (Parfum), Laureth-23, Carbomer, PEG-4 Dilaurate, PEG-4 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, PEG-4, Tocopherol, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Beta-Caryophyllene, Cananga Odorata Oil/Extract, Citronellol, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenyl Acetate, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Methyl Salicylate.

Frequently Asked

Is Pond's Dry Skin Cream worth it?

Pond's Dry Skin Cream scores 3.6 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Basic) and 3.2 out of 5.0 for safety (Irritant) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. Cheap, old-school moisture bomb — but the fragrance load and comedogenic ester keep it from being a clean win. The efficacy score is driven by a strong occlusive base of mineral oil, petrolatum, and waxes plus glycerin f

What are the key active ingredients in Pond's Dry Skin Cream?

Pond's Dry Skin Cream contains no gold-standard actives — its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.

Does Pond's Dry Skin Cream contain fragrance or known irritants?

DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Pond's Dry Skin Cream as potential irritants: Fragrance (Parfum), Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Amyl Cinnamal, Cananga Odorata Oil/Extract, Citronellol, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Limonene, Linalool. This product does contain fragrance.

How is Pond's Dry Skin Cream scored?

DemythSkin grades every product on two independent axes: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are classified S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. No brand pays for a score.

Analyze on DemythSkin →

Analysis last updated: 2026-09-06. DemythSkin is an independent ingredient analyzer. Scores are computed by a deterministic rubric from published clinical evidence — no brand pays for a score.