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Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer Versus Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Tri-Peptide Eye Creme

Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer Versus Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Tri-Peptide Eye Creme This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder and Persea Gratissima Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrat

Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer Versus Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Tri-Peptide Eye Creme

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder and Persea Gratissima Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isononyl Isononanoate

Glycerin

Heptyl Undecylenate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Persea Gratissima Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Glucose

Hydrolyzed Pea Protein

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Succinate

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Hoya Lacunosa Flower Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Arginine

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tocopherol

Sodium Phytate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Heptyl Undecylenate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Persea Gratissima Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glucose, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Succinate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Hoya Lacunosa Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Arginine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Esters

Polybutene

Isostearyl Neopentanoate

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Polyethylene

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Polygonum Aviculare Extract

Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Algae Extract

Linoleic Acid

Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Cholesterol

Caffeine

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Artemia Extract

Sorbitol

Trehalose

Lauryl PCA

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate

Cetearyl Glucoside

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Acetyl Glucosamine

Carbomer

Whey Protein

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Hyaluronate

1,2-Hexanediol

Faex Extract

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Zinc PCA

Sodium PCA

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Lactate

Potassium Sulfate

PEG-8

Disodium EDTA

BHT

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Polysorbate 20

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Mica

CI 77891

CI 77491

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Polybutene, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Polyethylene, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Algae Extract, Linoleic Acid, Persea Gratissima Oil, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Cholesterol, Caffeine, Glucose, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Artemia Extract, Sorbitol, Trehalose, Lauryl PCA, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Carbomer, Whey Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Faex Extract, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Zinc PCA, Sodium PCA, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Sulfate, PEG-8, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.

As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.

It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.

A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract is from the Roman Chamomile flower. It helps soothe the skin and contains antioxidants.

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.

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.

Glucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.

Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.

It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.

Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.

Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.

In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.

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.

This ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).

The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.

Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.

The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.

The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.

It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.

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.

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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