SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream Versus Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream versus Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum .

Published on March 11, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, retinoid and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

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SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum

Facial Treatment Brand

Serum American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream 64 ingredients

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum 32 ingredients

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream 64 ingredients

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum 32 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid (2)

Vitamin E (2)

Exfoliators (2)

Niacinamide

Ceramides

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)

Good For Oily Skin (2)

Redness Reducing (6)

Reduces Irritation (6)

Skin Texture

Reduces Large Pores (2)

Anti-Aging (5)

Dark Spots (4)

Scar Healing (4)

Acne Fighting (3)

Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying

May Worsen Oily Skin (4)

Acne Trigger (2)

Irritating (2)

Rosacea (2)

Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

PHA

Retinoid

Vitamin E

Niacinamide

Ceramides

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (3)

Good For Oily Skin (2)

Redness Reducing (3)

Reduces Irritation (3)

Skin Texture (2)

Reduces Large Pores (2)

Anti-Aging (3)

Dark Spots (2)

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting (2)

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)

Irritating

Rosacea (3)

Eczema (2)

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream 64 ingredients

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum 32 ingredients

Water • Caprylic Acid • Ethylhexyl Palmitate • Glycerin • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Dicaprylyl Carbonate • Niacinamide • Pentylene Glycol • Hydrogenated Polydecene • Phenyl Trimethicone • 1,2-Hexanediol • Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil • Retinal • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Curcuma Longa Root Extract • Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract • Corallina Officinalis Extract • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Centella Asiatica Extract • Glycine Soja Oil • Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract • Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate • Synthetic Beeswax • Cetearyl Olivate • Sorbitan Olivate • Silica • Butylene Glycol • Panthenol • Sorbitan Stearate • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Hydroxyacetophenone • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer • Pentaerythrityl Distearate • Sodium Caprylate • Palmitic Acid • Polyisobutene • Stearic Acid • Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate • Cholesterol • Bakuchiol • Brassica Campestris Sterols • Adenosine • Ceteth-3 • Ceteth-5 • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Tocopherol • Alumina • Tocopheryl Acetate • Sodium Phytate • Caprylyl Caprylate • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Sorbitan Oleate • Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate • Allantoin • Madecassoside • Ceramide NP • Retinol • Stearyl Alcohol • Cetyl Alcohol • Myristyl Alcohol • Lauryl Alcohol • Disodium EDTA • Peg-5 Rapeseed Sterol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Water • Niacinamide • Cyclodextrin • Glycerin • Caprylic Acid • Gluconolactone • Squalane • Bisabolol • Ceramide NP • Michelia Alba Flower Oil • Hamamelis Virginiana Water • Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract • Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil • Sodium Hyaluronate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract • Retinal • Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract • Pentylene Glycol • Maltodextrin • Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract • Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract • Xanthan Gum • Sodium Benzoate • Sodium Gluconate • Polysorbate 20 • Citrus Grandis Peel Oil • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil • Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil • Alcohol • Alcohol Denat.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

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.

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Caprylic Acid

What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Masking

Community Rating: Mixed

Caprylic Acid is a fatty acid commonly found in plant oils, such as palm and coconut oils.

Much of the research is based on caprylic acid derived from coconut oil. Coconut oil is an emollient and helps moisturize the skin.

Caprylic Acid has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Several studies found it to be effective at treating yeast infections. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. Besides cosmetics, this ingredient is also used for a variety of medical purposes such as treating digestive disorders.

This ingredient is minimally soluble in water.

Read more about a similar ingredient Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride.

Learn more about Caprylic Acid

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

Glycerin

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Niacinamide

What it does: Smoothing

Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 8.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

Pentylene Glycol

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Mixed

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 9.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

Retinal

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

Retinal is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the gold-standard class of anti-aging ingredients.

Retinal has many benefits as other retinoids: improve skin texture, reduce large pores, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, heal scars, and fight acne.

Studies show retinal may work at a faster rate than retinol due to its structure.

All retinoids have to be converted into retinoic acid before starting to work. Some retinoids take several steps of conversion before binding. Retinal is only one step away, making it more potent.

Like other retinoids, retinal may be irritating. It is best to ease into using this ingredient frequently.

Using the 'ramp up' method, start by using retinol once a week. This gives your skin time to adjust and decrease irritation. Once you feel ready, you can slowly increase the frequency of retinol use.

Using retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few weeks of use. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.

Learn more about Retinal

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

Tocopheryl Acetate

What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

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.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 50.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

Ceramide NP

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Ceramide NP is a type of ceramide.

Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin.

Ceramides are an important building block for our skin barrier. A stronger barrier helps the skin look more firm and hydrated. By bolstering the skin ceramides act as a barrier against irritating ingredients. This can help with inflammation as well.

If you would like to eat ceramides, sweet potatoes contain a small amount.

Read more about other common types of ceramides here: Ceramide AP Ceramide EOP

Learn more about Ceramide NP

SCINIC Cicanoid Retinal Cream contains this as ingredient number 58.

Maelove Moonlight Retinal Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

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