Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Rich Cream Versus Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientSucrose
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Algae Extract
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningWhey Protein
Skin ConditioningDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polybutene
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantPolymethyl Methacrylate
Polysilicone-11
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Sucrose, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Algae Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Whey Protein, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Caffeine, Acetyl Glucosamine, Linoleic Acid, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Polybutene, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-8, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Polysilicone-11, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Silica, Polysorbate 20, Aminomethyl Propanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-8 Stearate
Emulsifying
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Squalane, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sucrose Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-8 Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Chlorphenesin, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Myristic Acid, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Salicylic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone 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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
