Azelique Age Refining Eye Treatment with Azelaic Acid Versus Youth To The People Superfood Hydrate + Firm Peptide Eye Cream

Azelique Age Refining Eye Treatment with Azelaic Acid Versus Youth To The People Superfood Hydrate + Firm Peptide Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Cetyl Alcohol

Stearic Acid

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Glycerin

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Xanthan Gum

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Glyceryl Stearate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Caprylyl Glycol

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Caffeine

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Retinyl Palmitate

Ubiquinone

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract

Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Glycolic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ubiquinone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Glycolic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Medicago Sativa Extract

Spirulina Platensis Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Lecithin

Ascorbic Acid

Panthenol

Parfum

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Pentylene Glycol

Magnesium Chloride

Water, Glycerin, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate

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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.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.

The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.

Its headline job is hydration.

The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.

Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.

On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.

There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.

Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.

Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.

In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:

Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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