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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream versus Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on March 04, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe eye moisturizers. They have a total of 6 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 harsh alcohols, 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 British Brand United Kingdom
Eye Moisturizer American Brand United States

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

Shop

Buy Retinol Eye Cream

Starts at $14.00
Shop

Buy 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum

Starts at $65.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (2)
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid (2)
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Ceramides

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting (3)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (4)
Rosacea
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Within a product, Caprylic Triglyceride can thicken the product and make spreadability easier by dissolving clumping compounds. An added benefit of Caprylic Triglyceride is its antioxidant properties.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Caprylic Triglyceride has not been found to be toxic for human use in concentrations under 50%.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

3
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

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 Retinol

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 19.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

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.

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 look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 22.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum contains this as ingredient number 36.

5
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 25.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

6
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

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.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream contains this as ingredient number 27.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

28% are loved or liked
21% have mixed ratings
34% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet
38% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
31% are disliked or very disliked
21% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 29 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 2 reviews
Lakooo's Avatar'
Apr 24, 2023

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.

Daniel.Chin's Avatar'
Nov 2, 2023

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.

Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinoid + Niacinamide Eye Serum 39 ingredients

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Alternatives

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