Dr Sam’s Flawless Nightly Serum Versus Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil
Updated on May 23, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 2 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain retinoid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain common allergens and fragrances
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
Dr Sam’s Flawless Nightly Serum 20 ingredients
Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil 19 ingredients
- Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
- Rubus Laciniatus Seed Oil
- Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
- Persea Gratissima Oil
- Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
- Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
- Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
- Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
- Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
- Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil
- Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
- Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
- Eriocephalus Punctulatus Oil
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Dr Sam’s Flawless Nightly Serum 20 ingredients
Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil 19 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring acid derived from grains. This ingredient is effective in treating acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions.
Dicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
3 Concerns
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent and helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from sorbitol.
3 Benefits
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant (it's vegan!). It is often called the replacement for retinol although it is not part of the same family.
Fragrance Preservative 6 Concerns
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an emulsifier and helps condition the skin. It is amino acid-based.
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.
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.
7 Benefits 2 Concerns
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
Dehydroacetic Acid is fungicide and bactericide. It is used as a preservative in cosmetics. Preservatives help elongate the shelf life of a product.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane is a silicone used as a film forming agent.
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Azelaic Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Bakuchiol, Tapioca Starch, Benzyl Alcohol, Allantoin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil comes from the grape vine. Grape seeds are a byproduct of creating grape juice or wine.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil is an oil and isn't fungal acne safe.
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Not safe for Fungal Acne
Persea Gratissima Oil is made by pressing dehydrated avocado fruit from the tree Persea gratissima, Lauraceae.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent and helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from sorbitol.
Helps hydrate Dry Skin 2 Concerns
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is the oil derived from the seeds of a Sunflower. Sunflower seed oil is non-fragrant. It is an emollient, meaning it helps to soften the skin.
7 Benefits 2 Concerns
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract comes from rosemary. Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean.
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil is the volatile oil obtained from the flowers of the Bitter Orange, Citrus aurantium L. var. amara L., Rutaceae
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil comes from the bitter orange, an orange native to Southeast Asia.
2 Benefits
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil comes from the chamomile flower (like the tea you drink).
Oil 2 Concerns
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil comes from the ylang-ylang flower, Cananga odorata.
Oil
This oil is the the volatile oil distilled from the dried flower heads of the Roman Chamomile flower.
Helps reduce irritation
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil is an oil. It can be good for be good for sensitive skin.
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract comes from the vanilla orchid native to central America. It is a skin-soothing ingredient.
Eriocephalus Punctulatus Oil is the volatile oil obtained from the whole plant, Eriocephalus punctulatus, Compositae. Cape Chamomille Oil
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Rubus Laciniatus Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Eriocephalus Punctulatus Oil, CI 61565, CI 60725
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent and helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from sorbitol.
As a solvent, dimethyl isosorbide helps dissolve other ingredients. This helps ensure even distribution of an ingredient. It may also be used to decrease the thickness of a product.
Studies show dimethyl isosorbide is able to penetrate skin to deliver other ingredients into the skin, making them more effective.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideThis ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids? Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming: The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoateIngredient Ratings
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