Maelove Eye Enhancer Versus Maelove Eye Enhancer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Seed
Exfoliating
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Malus Baccata Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentNiacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed, Glycerin, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Malus Baccata Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycosaminoglycans
EmollientGlucosyl Hesperidin
HumectantOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Coffea Robusta Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningActinidia Deliciosa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Lilium Candidum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPfaffia Paniculata Root Extract
SoothingN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingChrysin
Skin ConditioningPtychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Glycosaminoglycans, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Coffea Robusta Seed Extract, Actinidia Deliciosa Fruit Extract, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Steareth-20, Chrysin, Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Alcohol, Carbomer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 is a peptide that goes by another name, eyeseryl, due to claims that it can help reduce eye puffiness.
The manufacturer claims this ingredient reduces eye puffiness by:
An in-vivo study from the manufacturer found 95% of volunteers saw eye bag improvement by the end of the study.
Eye puffiness is caused by two major factors: fluid retention and fat.
Those with fluid retention may see improvement from using this ingredient. However, those with eye fat will need surgical intervention in order to get rid of puffiness.
Learn more about Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
