Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer SPF 30 Versus First Aid Beauty 5 In 1 Face Cream SPF 30
This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This brightening day moisturizer is formulated around Alpha-Arbutin and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Avena Sativa Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Hyaluronic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 5.6%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 7.5%
UV Absorber
Water 4.8%
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Copaifera Officinalis Resin
MaskingPhenyl Methicone
Emollient
Enteromorpha Compressa Extract
Skin Protecting
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxylated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Methicone
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 5.6%, Octocrylene 7.5%, Water 4.8%, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Methicone, Copaifera Officinalis Resin, Phenyl Methicone, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Bisabolol, Alpha-Arbutin, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Hydroxylated Lecithin, Polysilicone-11, Methicone, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
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 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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Phenoxyethanol 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
