Versus

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum Versus Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment

Serum
Facial Treatment
American Brand
American Brand

Updated on October 05, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 10 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for 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 parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances, oils and silicones

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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
A+ High-Dose Retinol Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Solvent

Triheptanoin

Skin Conditioning

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Hexyldecanol

Emollient

Disiloxane

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Emulsifying
Silicon Icon

Diheptyl Succinate

Emollient

Propylene Carbonate

Solvent

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

PPG-24-Glycereth-24

Emulsifying

Phenyl Trimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Retinol

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ubiquinone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Honey Extract

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Algae Extract

Emollient
May worsen Oily Skin Icon

Zingiber Officinale Extract

Skin Conditioning

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Bisabolol

Masking
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phospholipids

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract

Skin Conditioning

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Emollient
1 / 2

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

4-T-Butylcyclohexanol

Masking
Fragrance IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Emollient
0 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sorbitol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide

Skin Conditioning

Polysilicone-11

Benzoic Acid

Masking
Preservative IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Dehydroacetic Acid

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sodium Phytate

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid

Skin Conditioning

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Brassica Campestris Sterols

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Pvp

Emulsion Stabilising
0 / 0

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Alcohol

Antimicrobial
Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Potassium Phosphate

Buffering

Decyl Glucoside

Cleansing

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon
Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl 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 Glycol
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Learn more about Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning

Disiloxane is a type of silicone.

Preservative

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.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Skin Conditioning

Phenyl Trimethicone is a silicon-based polymer. It is derived from silica.

Phenyl Trimethicone is used as an emollient and prevents products from foaming.

As an emollient, it helps trap moisture in the skin. It is considered an occlusive.

Learn more about Phenyl Trimethicone
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol

We don't have a description for Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract yet.

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.

As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.

Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.

Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Stearic Acid
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 Water

When to use

165 Routines
4% use in am
96% use in pm
69% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
491 Routines
31% use in am
69% use in pm
70% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

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What people say
Works Well 43% Expensive 29% Strong Scent 29%