First Aid Beauty Hydrating Eye Cream with Hyaluronic Acid Versus The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
This calming eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Olivate
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentCetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientAvena Sativa Bran Extract
AbrasiveAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialColloidal Oatmeal
AbsorbentChrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Phytate
ChelatingSodium Polyglutamate
HumectantC20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPropanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Cetyl Phosphate, Caffeine, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Polyglutamate, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, C20-22 Alcohols, Hydroxyacetophenone, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
HumectantMyristoyl Nonapeptide-3
Skin ConditioningDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin ConditioningEpigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
AntioxidantGallyl Glucoside
AntioxidantFraxinus Excelsior Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSilanetriol
Arginine
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningHydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningPropyl Gallate
AntioxidantMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingGlycolic Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Caffeine, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Fraxinus Excelsior Bark Extract, Silanetriol, Arginine, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Propyl Gallate, Maltodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
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 GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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