Kiehl's Youth Dose Eye Treatment Versus Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Dark Circle Reducing Vitamin C Eye Serum
This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Retinyl Palmitate to brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Adenosine to fade the look of dark spots and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningVinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantOctyldodecanol
EmollientLauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Boron Nitride
AbsorbentCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingSilica Silylate
EmollientHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantCI 77163
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialMagnesium Sulfate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantTetrasodium EDTA
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Octyldodecanol, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, CI 77891, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Silica Silylate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, CI 77163, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chlorphenesin, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Caffeine, Retinyl Palmitate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tetrasodium EDTA, CI 77491, Adenosine, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol
Propylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingLauroyl Lysine
Skin ConditioningAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentPolysilicone-11
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSteareth-20
CleansingChlorhexidine Digluconate
AntimicrobialN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningChrysin
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Water, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Polysilicone-11, CI 77891, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Steareth-20, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Chrysin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Citric Acid, Biotin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineCi 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 77891Dimethicone 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 GlycerinPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamatePropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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