Nivea Luminous 630 Anti Mark And Dark Spots Cream Versus L'Oreal Glycolic-Bright Glowing Cream Day SPF 17
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tapioca Starch
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Carrageenan
Trisodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tapioca Starch, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocoglycerides, Octyldodecanol, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Tocopherol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Carrageenan, Trisodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningEthyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
BHT
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Eugenol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Manganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningMethylparaben
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tourmaline
Citronellol
Perfuming
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ethyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Titanium Dioxide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Synthetic Wax, BHT, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Stearic Acid, Linalool, Geraniol, Glycolic Acid, Eugenol, Parfum, Manganese Gluconate, Methylparaben, Silica, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Limonene, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Tourmaline, Citronellol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Ethylparaben, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, CI 14700, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearateOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Parfum 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.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateSodium 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
