Sunday Riley C.E.O Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil Versus Prequel Skin Utility Ointment Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant
This brightening oil is formulated around Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin.
This hydrating treatment is formulated around Petrolatum and Bisabolol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningHexyldecanol
Emollient
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Octyldodecanol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hexyldecanol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Stearic Acid, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Petrolatum 45%
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialStearic Acid
Cleansing
Brassica Campestris Sterols
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Petrolatum 45%, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ozokerite, Dimethicone, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Bisabolol, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Stearic Acid, Brassica Campestris Sterols, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hexyldecanol
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololThis ingredient is the sterol fraction pulled out of rapeseed (or field mustard) oil. It's the waxy, cholesterol-like part of the oil.
That cholesterol-like part matters because the molecules are structurally close cousins of the cholesterol your own skin makes.
Cholesterol is one of the three lipids (along with ceramides and fatty acids) that hold your skin barrier together. So the plant sterols (like this one) do the same job: they integrate into the barrier and mimic the skin's natural lipids, which helps it hold onto water.
There's some decent evidence too:
A tape stripping study found skin treated with a phyosterol formulation recovered barrier function noticeably faster than skin treated with the vehicle alone.
Phytosterols also show anti-inflammatory activity which is why they appear often in soothing and anti-aging creams.
Usage concentrations vary according to industry survey data; leave-on products go up to 7% and rinse-off products up to 0.13%.
Actual face products usually use lower amounts (0.1-2%), partly because sterols are waxy and don't dissolve easily.
A human repeat insult patch test of 100% pure sterols in 50 subjects produced no irritation/sensitization, and guinea pig maximization testing was also negative. The CIR Expert Panel has also concluded the phytosterol ingredient group is safe at current use concentrations.
Fungal acne note: Sterols are not fatty acids and the yeast makes its own sterols anyway, so this ingredient doesn't feed it (it is fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Brassica Campestris SterolsWe don't have a description for Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide yet.
Hexyldecanol is a fatty alcohol that is basically the "light" version of cetyl alcohol. It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that leaves a silky feeling on skin without tackiness.
Because it is stable across a wide pH range, it plays nicely with most actives. Typical use concentrations range from 1-10% and it can be either plant derived or synthetically created.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient and only a few cases of contact dermatitis have been reported.
The closest tested cousin of this ingredient, Octyldodecanol, did not support Malassezia growth in vitro. The Malassezia yeast responsible for fungal acne prefers straight-chain substrates whereas Hexyldecanol and Octyldodecanol are branched. While this ingredient is unlikely to cause fungal acne, be sure to patch test if you're unsure.
Learn more about HexyldecanolThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
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.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
