Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE® Anti-Aging Antioxidant Infusion Essence Versus Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Rx Proferment
This anti-aging essence is formulated around Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate and Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
This hydrating essence is formulated around Niacinamide and Bifida Ferment Lysate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPEG-8 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingAlcohol
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarnosine
Skin ConditioningCeratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Palmitate
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantErgothioneine
AntioxidantFerulic Acid
AntimicrobialHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingHydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
AntioxidantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingResveratrol
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingSodium PCA
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carnosine, Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Cetyl Palmitate, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Ergothioneine, Ferulic Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Parfum, PEG-100 Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Yeast Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentPearl Powder
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium PCA
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantVinegar
Glycerin
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingYeast Ferment Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Pearl Powder, Water, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Polyquaternium-51, Butylene Glycol, Vinegar, Glycerin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum