Avène A-Oxitive Night Peeling Cream Versus Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream

Avène A-Oxitive Night Peeling Cream Versus Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream

This smoothing night moisturizer is formulated around Retinal to refine skin texture and soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Triethylhexanoin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cyclohexasiloxane

Ceteareth-20

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Ceteareth-33

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Benzoic Acid

BHT

Caramel

Disodium EDTA

Mica

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Oleoyl Dipeptide-15

Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31

Phenoxyethanol

CI 17200

Retinal

Silica

Sodium Hydroxide

CI 77891

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Glucoside

Water, Triethylhexanoin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ceteareth-20, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Ceteareth-33, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Benzoic Acid, BHT, Caramel, Disodium EDTA, Mica, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Oleoyl Dipeptide-15, Oleoyl Tetrapeptide-31, Phenoxyethanol, CI 17200, Retinal, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 77891, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside

Glycerin

Propanediol

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Hydrolyzed Candida Saitoana Extract

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Galactoarabinan

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3

Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide

Hyaluronic Acid

Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil

Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil

Niacinamide

Withania Somnifera Root Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract

Ellagic Acid

Phenyl T-Butylnitrone

Ergothioneine

Glutathione

Mirabilis Jalapa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Chrysin

Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole

Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Lavandula Hybrida Oil

Pentylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Cyclodextrin

Caprylyl Glycol

Steareth-20

Citric Acid

Xanthan Gum

Dextran

Acetyl Tributyl Citrate

Potassium Sorbate

Geraniol

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Candida Saitoana Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Galactoarabinan, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Hyaluronic Acid, Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Callus Culture Extract, Retinal, Ellagic Acid, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone, Ergothioneine, Glutathione, Mirabilis Jalapa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Cyclodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, Steareth-20, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Dextran, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool

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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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Retinal (aka retinaldehyde) is a form of retinoid that formulators use mainly as an antiaging and skin-renewing active.

What makes it special is its position in the retinoid family; skin converts it to retinoic acid (the prescription gold standard) in just one step.

Because retinal only requires 1 conversion step to become retinoic acid, it's the strongest over-the-counter retinoid. It also works at lower concentrations than retinol, since retinal is about 10x more bioavailable.

Studies back up its efficacy in skin:

A foundational trial showed that applying 0.05-0.5% retinal for 1-3 months produced a dose-dependent and significant increase in epidermal thickness + cell turnover markers.

And a head-to-head comparison of 0.05% retinal against a 0.05% retinoid acid found both formulations were effective for the basis of wrinkle/skin roughness features, but retinoic acid caused more local irritation.

More recent controlled trials confirm it improves wrinkles, dermal density, and firmness over 12-24 weeks, with significant improvements in skin texture and firmness (particularly with the higher 0.1% concentration).

Retinal also has one trick the other retinoids do not: it directly fights against acne bacteria since a clinical study showed retinaldehyde-treated areas displayed a significant decrease in counts of viable P. acnes.

This makes it a great pick for people who want to treat aging and breakouts.

Typical cosmetic use sits in the 0.05-0.1% range with 0.05% being the gentle starting point and 0.1% giving stronger results.

Like all retinoids, retinal works best with nightly use, a good moisturizer, and daytime sunscreen. It can cause some irritation so ease into it slowly rather than going all in.

The "ramp up" method works well: start with Retinal once a week to give your skin time to adjust, which keeps irritation low.

Slowly add more nights until you reach your goal frequency once your skin feels comfortable.

Retinoids also make your skin more sensitive to the sun in the first few weeks, so wear sunscreen every morning and protect your skin from direct sun while you build up tolerance.

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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