Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Firming Eye Gel-Cream Versus Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream with Niacinamide

Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract is an antioxidant made by attaching a palmitic acid group to extract from young grapevine (Vitis vinifera) shoots. The palmitoyl part makes it more oil-soluble, which helps it absorb into skin.

It's a proprietary ingredient used almost exclusively by Caudalie, where it's the active behind their "Viniférine" technology and the brightening claims in the Vinoperfect line. Grapevine shoots are naturally rich in resveratrol and related compounds like ε-viniferin, so the antioxidant credentials are plausible. Studies on similar grapevine-shoot extracts show real free-radical scavenging and a boost to the skin's own antioxidant enzymes like SOD and GPx.

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

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.

Water. 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.

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.