Updated on January 24, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe eye moisturizers. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any oils or parabens
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols
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
SkinBetter Science Interfuse Treatment Cream Eye 31 ingredients
SkinBetter Science Instant Effect Gel Eye 35 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
SkinBetter Science Interfuse Treatment Cream Eye 31 ingredients
SkinBetter Science Instant Effect Gel Eye 35 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Concerns
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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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Jojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Peg-16 Macadamia Glycerides isn't fungal acne safe.
3 Concerns
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Ceteareth-20 is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. It is derived from cetearyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol.
Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
5 Concerns
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 isn't fungal acne safe and is a peptide.
Caffeine is most associated with coffee, tea, and cacao. In skincare, it helps with calming inflammation and anti-aging.
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract is from the Kakadu plum. The Kakadu plum is native to northern Australia. The Kakadu plum holds the record for having the highest amount of natural vitamin C.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Arginine is an amino acid that is important for human development. Your body uses is it to produce hair keratin and skin collagen.
Glycine is an amino acid that helps build proteins. It is already present in our skin as our bodies produce them naturally.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, Peg-16 Macadamia Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Peg-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caffeine, S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic Acetate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Arginine, Glycine, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract is from brown seaweed that grows in the northern Atlantic Ocean. It is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage our skin cells.
Asparagopsis Armata Extract is from seaweed. It is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules. These molecules damage our cells.
2 Concerns
Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
Silica Silylate is a siloxane polymer, meaning it is made up of silicon and oxygen atoms. It is not soluble in water.
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.
Antioxidant 5 Benefits
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a form of Vitamin C and is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.
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.
Sulfate
Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate is an antioxidant and is a type of sulfate.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
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.
Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Glyceryl Oleate is a fragrance and isn't fungal acne safe.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
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.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
5 Concerns
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
May worsen Eczema
Sorbic Acid is a preservative. It is the most commonly used food preservative in the world.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
Fragrance Preservative 6 Concerns
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Water, Glycerin, Coffea Robusta Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rhizobian Gum, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Glycosaminoglycans, Silica, Silica Silylate, Hydroxyproline, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate, Sorbitol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Oleate, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterGlycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateCarbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Ingredient Ratings
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