This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil and Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantDimethiconol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
C15-19 Alkane
SolventSilica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Zea Mays Starch, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Caffeine, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyglycerin-6, Dimethiconol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, C15-19 Alkane, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Ascorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantFarnesol
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Caffeine, Myristyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Mica, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Citric Acid, CI 77891, Farnesol, Sodium Hyaluronate, CI 16035
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPhenoxyethanol 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
