Nature Republic Ginseng Gold Silk Watery Cream Versus Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Moisturizer
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate and Ergothioneine to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAcorus Calamus Root Extract
PerfumingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAtractylodes Chinensis Rhizome Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
HumectantChrysanthellum Indicum Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGold
Cosmetic ColorantPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientParfum
MaskingPEG-7 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningSilk Amino Acids
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingTrehalose
HumectantZiziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Adenosine, Arginine, Atractylodes Chinensis Rhizome Extract, Butylene Glycol, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Ethyl Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gold, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Parfum, PEG-7 Dimethicone, Royal Jelly Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Trehalose, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
AntioxidantPolyglycerin-6
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantErgothioneine
AntioxidantXanthophylls
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil
Skin ConditioningSodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMannitol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantBenzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingWater, Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Polyglycerin-6, Propanediol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ergothioneine, Xanthophylls, Allantoin, Citrus Aurantium Amara Peel Oil, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer, Mannitol, Pentylene Glycol, Isododecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Phytate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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