Vichy LiftActiv Pure Retinol Serum for Deep Wrinkles Versus Vichy Liftactiv B3 Serum Dark Spots & Wrinkles
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinol and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Glycolic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Alcohol Denat., Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycine Soja Oil, Propylene Glycol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydroxyacetophenone, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Retinol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glyceryl Isostearate, Polysorbate 20, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Sodium Lactate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningVitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Propylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHydrolyzed Rice Protein is protein extracted from rice. This ingredient is rich in antioxidants and peptides.
Studies show this ingredient may help with blocking the melanin creation process when skin is exposed to UV.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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 HydroxideTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
Vitreoscilla Ferment is a probiotic derived from the Vitreoscilla bacteria.
Studies show Vitreoscilla Ferment to have the same benefits as ingesting probiotics. Probiotics help keep the bacteria in your body healthy.
In general, maintaining a healthy microbiome on your skin has many benefits. One benefit is protection against external and bad bacteria. A healthy microbiome also helps maintain skin hydration and reduce inflammation.
Probiotics work best when combined with prebiotics.
Learn more about Vitreoscilla FermentWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
