Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum For Sensitive Skin Versus Olay Total Effects 7inOne Night Firming Cream
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Chlorphenesin
AntimicrobialDimethicone
EmollientSuccinoglycan
Skin ConditioningChrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
AntioxidantAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethiconol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Chlorphenesin, Dimethicone, Succinoglycan, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hydroxide, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingIsohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientIsopropyl Isostearate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyacrylamide
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantRetinyl Propionate
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBHT
AntioxidantTapioca Starch
C13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDimethiconol
EmollientLaureth-7
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientDisodium EDTA
PEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantPolymethylsilsesquioxane
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Propionate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, BHT, Tapioca Starch, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Laureth-7, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, PEG-100 Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
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.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water