SeoulCeuticals Ultra Retinol Night Serum Versus Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Bakuchiol and Snail Secretion Filtrate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentGeranium Maculatum Extract
TonicTaraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose
EmulsifyingCarrageenan
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Bakuchiol, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Carrageenan, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysilicone-11
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin Protecting
Gelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin Protecting
Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Whey Protein
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientPropylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-6
HumectantDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingTin Oxide
Abrasive
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Squalane, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Whey Protein, Isohexadecane, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Cholesterol, PEG-8, Faex Extract, PEG-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Phosphate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polysorbate 80, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Tin Oxide, Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
