Updated on February 08, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain retinoid and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Pond's Age Miracle Ultimate Youth Serum Hexyl-Retinol 36 ingredients
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ .5% Power Serum 12 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Pond's Age Miracle Ultimate Youth Serum Hexyl-Retinol 36 ingredients
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Pro+ .5% Power Serum 12 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Ingredients Side-by-side
Water. 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.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Another popular name for this ingredient is Synovea HR. This ingredient is a skin lightener and antioxidant.
7 Benefits 2 Concerns
Retinyl Propionate is a retinoid. Retinoids are the gold-standard class of anti-aging ingredients.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken and improve the texture of products.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
Bisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.
Decyl Glucoside is a glucose-based surfactant. Surfactants help clean the skin by trapping oil, sebum, and dirt to be washed away.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Bifida Ferment Lysate is derived from the fermentation of Bifida bacteria (often with dairy). It is a probiotic and helps to strengthen our skin's microbiome.
Betaine is a common humectant (a substance that promotes retention of moisture). It's known to be gentle on the skin and can help balance hydration.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.
8 Benefits 3 Concerns
Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a type of hyaluronic acid. In fact, it is modified version of hyaluronic acid.
Antioxidant 6 Benefits Not safe for Fungal Acne
Ascorbyl Palmitate is created by combining pure Vitamin C and palmitic acid. It is an antioxidant and helps reduce hyperpigmentation.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
CI 19140 is also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Water, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Hexylresorcinol, Retinyl Propionate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Bisabolol, Decyl Glucoside, Potassium Hydroxide, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Tocopherol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Betaine, Lecithin, Retinol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140
Isohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Dicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is an emollient. Emollients help your skin stay soft and smooth by creating a thin film on top. This film helps trap moisture. It also helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness or helping to create a silky feel.
Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.
8 Benefits 3 Concerns
Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Antioxidant Helps brighten skin
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
Bisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamateBisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.
Bisabolol comes from German chamomile essential oil. Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.
Bisabolol helps soothe skin. It does this by blocking the inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.
Bisabolol also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.
Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.
Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.
Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.
Learn more about BisabololRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolParfum 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.
In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'.
The term '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 ParfumBHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
BHT also helps stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Many products are sensitive to air and light. BHT prevents them from breaking down when exposed.
Ingredient Ratings
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