Ava Estell Night Cream Versus Eminence Organics Marine Flower Peptide Night Cream

Ava Estell Night Cream Versus Eminence Organics Marine Flower Peptide Night Cream

This barrier-repair night moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Extract and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This night moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice to hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearic Acid

Glycerin

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Citrus Limon Peel Extract

Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Extract

Glyceryl Stearate

Coco-Glucoside

Tocopherol

Sodium Phytate

Water, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Coco-Glucoside, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate

Oryza Sativa

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Zea Mays Silk Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract

Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate

Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Lecithin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Tocopheryl Acetate

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Butylene Glycol

Xanthan Gum

Ocimum Basilicum Oil

Guaiazulene

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Iron Oxides

Bambusa Vulgaris Extract

Caramel

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Peel

Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract

Emblica Officinalis Fruit

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Milk

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Tapioca Starch

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Oryza Sativa, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Zea Mays Silk Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Guaiazulene, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Iron Oxides, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Caramel, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Peel, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Emblica Officinalis Fruit, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Milk, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Tapioca Starch

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is the filtered, stabilized liquid pressed from the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf.

In cosmetics, it shows up as either soothing active or a water-replacement base. It is roughly 98-99% water and the last 1-2% is an interesting mix of polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.

The polysaccharides do most of the work: they bind water at the skin surface for a light, non-greasy hydration boost. And one of the polysaccharides, glycomannan, is linked to fibroblast stimulation + collagen synthesis. This is also why aloe has such a long track record in wound and burn healing.

This ingredient is also calming with anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity, making it a great pick for sensitive, irritated, or post-sun skin.

Realistic expectations matter though; the solid evidence is mostly limited to hydration, soothing, and wound support. Deeper claims about anti-aging or sun protection are not well backed, and science reviews note it does not prevent radiation-induced skin injury.

Because it plays well with almost everything, it's commonly used as a base alongside other actives like niacinamide or vitamin C.

Typical usage concentrations range from 0.5% (where hydration benefits already show up) all the way to 90%+ (where it replaces water as the main base).

The safety for this ingredient is well-establish as well. Overall, this is a great supporting ingredient for those who want a boost in hydration.

This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.

Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).

Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.

Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Glycerin (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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

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