Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream versus Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream .
Last updated on November 21, 2023. Published on December 25, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe eye moisturizers. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain retinoid and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening 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 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.
Eye Moisturizer
Eye moisturizers help add moisture back into the skin around the eyes; these can be creams, gels, or serums.
Eye Moisturizer
Eye moisturizers help add moisture back into the skin around the eyes; these can be creams, gels, or serums.
Price
Ingredient Info
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream 55 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream 55 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
This product contains 8 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream 55 ingredients
Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Pentaerythrityl Distearate • Shea Butter Ethyl Esters • Cetearyl Olivate • Phenoxyethanol • Benzyl Alcohol • Sorbitan Olivate • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Sodium Hydroxide • Sodium Hyaluronate • Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate • Copernicia Cerifera Cera • Propanediol • Glycogen • Sodium Gluconate • Retinol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Dehydroacetic Acid • Citric Acid • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil • 1,2-Hexanediol • Caprylyl Glycol • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate • Tocopherol • Xanthan Gum • Humulus Lupulus Extract
Water • Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate • Cetyl Alcohol • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Glyceryl Stearate • Peg-100 Stearate • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Ascorbyl Glucoside • Potassium Cetyl Phosphate • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate • Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 • Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate • Ceramide Ns • Ceramide EOP • Ceramide AP • Ceramide Eos • Ceramide NP • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 • Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 • Caprooyl Phytosphingosine • Caprooyl Sphingosine • Cholesterol • Squalane • Retinol • Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Punica Granatum Fruit Extract • Dunaliella Salina Extract • Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil • Tocopheryl Acetate • Allantoin • Bisabolol • Carnosine • Panthenol • Sodium PCA • Pullulan • Glyceryl Ascorbate • Behenic Acid • Dimethicone • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Polyacrylate • Caprylyl Glycol • Ethylhexyl Stearate • Ceteareth-25 • Sodium Hydroxide • Trideceth-6 • Propyl Gallate • Polysorbate 20 • Disodium EDTA • Mica • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin • Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterThe INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinThe INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 5.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and 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.
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 8.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 53.
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.
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 HydroxideThe INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 47.
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and proven to help with anti-aging.
It promotes collagen production, increases new cell turnoever, and protects your skin as an antioxidant.
Retinol boosts collagen production and increases cell turnover. This makes retinol effective in removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Retinol is less effective when exposed to sun. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent.
Using retinol and 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.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolThe INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 19.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 26.
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 GlycolThe INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 25.
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 44.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream 55 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients
Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream 55 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients
Good, but not a stand-alone eye product
Like everything from the Inkey List, this is affordable, reliable, and well formulated, if not a product no one can live without. To get the full benefit, you must also use a hydrating toner/mist...
Good, but not a stand-alone eye product
Like everything from the Inkey List, this is affordable, reliable, and well formulated, if not a product no one can live without. To get the full benefit, you must also use a hydrating toner/mist and the Inkey List's Brighten-I cream at night.
Split!
Works, but after a couple months, it turned yellow and split. Gross.
Split!
Works, but after a couple months, it turned yellow and split. Gross.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 40 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream.
See 40 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 12 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Paula's Choice Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream.
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