Versus

Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum Versus Elizabeth Arden Prevage + Intensive Repair Daily Serum

Serum
Serum
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on July 19, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both serums. They have a total of 26 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA, exfoliants, hyaluronic acid, peptides and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Smart Custom-Repair Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Isododecane

Emollient

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Polysilicone-11

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

PEG-6

Humectant

Citrus Grandis Peel Extract

Astringent
Fragrance Icon

Morus Nigra Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Emollient

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Astringent

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Emollient

Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract

Skin Conditioning

Gentiana Lutea Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Algae Extract

Emollient
May worsen Oily Skin Icon

Plankton Extract

Skin Conditioning

Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Yeast Extract

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Cleansing
Peptide IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ergothioneine

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Lactis Proteinum

Skin Conditioning

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Micrococcus Lysate

Skin Conditioning

Cholesterol

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Di-C12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride

Skin Conditioning

Salicylic Acid

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Isohexadecane

Emollient

Propylene Glycol Dicaprate

Emollient

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caffeine

Skin Conditioning

Glycine Soja Protein

Emulsifying

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Acetyl Glucosamine

Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Dimethoxytolyl Propylresorcinol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Skin Conditioning

Tromethamine

Buffering

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

Sodium Rna

Skin Conditioning

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

PEG-8

Humectant

Lecithin

Emollient

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Tin Oxide

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

CI 19140

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 14700

Cosmetic Colorant
2 / 1

CI 77891

Cosmetic Colorant

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Calcium Chloride

Astringent

Sea Whip Extract

Skin Conditioning
Prevage + Intensive Repair Daily Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Methyl Trimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Isododecane

Emollient

Dipropylene Glycol

Masking

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

PEG-75

Humectant

Polysilicone-11

Panthenyl Triacetate

Caprylyl Methicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Propylene Glycol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinoyl Dipalmitoyl Glycerate

Skin Conditioning

Glycereth-26

Humectant
0 / 0

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Ergothioneine

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

Retinyl Linoleate

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Glycine Soja Oil

Emollient
3 / 0 Oil IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Isohexadecane

Emollient

PPG-2 Isoceteth-20 Acetate

Emulsifying

Urea

Buffering
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Acetyl Farnesylcysteine

Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Emulsifying

Lecithin

Emollient

Lysophosphatidic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Naringenin

Skin Conditioning

Methylsilanol Hydroxyproline Aspartate

Skin Conditioning

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-19

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Quercus Suber Bark Extract

Skin Conditioning

Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3

Skin Protecting
Peptide Icon

Oligopeptide-68

Bleaching
Peptide Icon

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Decyl Glucoside

Cleansing

Lysolecithin

Emulsifying

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Oleate

Cleansing

Polyimide-1

Dextran

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Disodium EDTA

Salicylic Acid

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Mica

Cosmetic Colorant
May worsen Eczema Icon

Tin Oxide

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Aminopropyl Dimethicone

Silicon Icon

Parfum

Masking
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Linalool

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Benzophenone-4

UV Absorber
Chemical UV Filter Icon

Ethylparaben

Preservative
Preservative IconParaben IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Methylparaben

Preservative
0 / 0 Preservative IconParaben IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Propylparaben

Preservative
0 / 0 Preservative IconParaben IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sodium Methylparaben

Preservative
Preservative IconParaben Icon

CI 14700

Cosmetic Colorant
2 / 1

CI 77891

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 19140

Cosmetic Colorant

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Emollient, Solvent

Isododecane is a fragrance, emollient, and solvent.

As an emollient, it helps your skin stay soft and hydrated. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin.

Isododecane's role as a solvent makes it a great texture enhancer. It spreads smoothly on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling behind. Isododecane also helps prevent color transfer in makeup products.

Isododecane is not absorbed into skin.

Learn more about Isododecane
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.

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 Dimethicone
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Cyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.

D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.

It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.

Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.

Learn more about Cyclopentasiloxane

We don't have a description for Polysilicone-11 yet.

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Skin Conditioning

Peg-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.

According to the manufacturer, acidic formulations decrease the stability of this ingredient. It works best in neutral or near neutral formulations.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
Antioxidant

Ergothioneine is an amino acid found naturally in mushrooms, grains, and meat. It has antioxidant and skin soothing properties.

According to a manufacturer, this amino acid helps with:

  • Maintaining DNA stability and cell reproduction
  • Enhances cellular immunity
  • Skin brightening
  • Anti-aging
  • Skin soothing
Emulsifying

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.

Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.

The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.

Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polysorbate 20
Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.

Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.

In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Isohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.

Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.

Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.

Learn more about Isohexadecane
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Emulsifying

Polysorbate 80 is a surfactant and emulsifier. It is used to keep ingredients together, and prevent oils and waters from separating.

It is made from polyethoxylated sorbitan and oleic acid. This ingredient can be found in cosmetics, foods, and medicine. It is water-soluble.

Polysorbate 80 may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polysorbate 80
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.

AAVC is able to increase the consistency and viscosity of products due to its large molecule size. It also prevents ingredients from separating.

Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.

This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.

As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.

This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.

We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.

Learn more about Lecithin
Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.

As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.

Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.

Learn more about Hexylene Glycol

We don't have a description for Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer yet.

Abrasive

Tin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.

Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.

Tartrazine is created from petroleum and is water-soluble.

Some people may experience allergies from this dye, especially asthmatics and those with an aspirin intolerance.

Learn more about CI 19140
Cosmetic Colorant

Ci 14700 is a synthetic red dye.

Cosmetic Colorant

Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.

It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.

Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.

Learn more about CI 77891

When to use

7 Routines
43% use in am
57% use in pm
71% use every day