Nivea Cellular Expert Lift Pure Bakuchiol Anti-Age Night Cream Versus Neutrogena Face Care Intensive Reparador Nocturno
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientBakuchiol
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPantolactone
HumectantCreatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Sulfate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 47005
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 15985, CI 47005
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSilica
AbrasiveAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentDimethicone
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Silica, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Collagen
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 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