Skin science article
Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel Cream Versus L'Oreal Revitalift Filler 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel Cream Versus L'Oreal Revitalift Filler 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum This calming eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to calm redness and hydrate skin. This anti-aging serum is formulated around
Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel Cream Versus L'Oreal Revitalift Filler 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum
This calming eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Glycerin
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Butylene Glycol
Octyldodecanol
Dihydroxyisopropyl Capryloylcaprylamide
Niacinamide
Polysorbate 80
Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Polyacrylate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Poria Cocos Extract
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Sorbitan Olivate
Sucrose Cocoate
Caprylyl Glycol
Bisabolol
Dimethicone
Cetyl Palmitate
Sorbitan Palmitate
Serine
Phytosterols
Alanine
Glycine
Trideceth-6
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Xanthan Gum
Silica
Glyceryl Stearate
Sorbitan Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Stearic Acid
Citric Acid
Parfum
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Dihydroxyisopropyl Capryloylcaprylamide, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Sucrose Cocoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Dimethicone, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Serine, Phytosterols, Alanine, Glycine, Trideceth-6, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Citric Acid, Parfum
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Disodium EDTA
Secale Cereale Seed Extract
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Calcium Pantothenate
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Pentylene Glycol
Benzyl Alcohol
Benzyl Benzoate
Benzyl Salicylate
Citronellol
Linalool
Chlorphenesin
Water, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Disodium EDTA, Secale Cereale Seed Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Calcium Pantothenate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Linalool, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
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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.
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.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
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.
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.
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!