Skin science article
Cicamed Organic Science Eye Antioxidant Versus Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream
Cicamed Organic Science Eye Antioxidant Versus Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine and Thioctic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles. This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascor
Cicamed Organic Science Eye Antioxidant Versus Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Cream
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine and Thioctic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Sorbitan Olivate
Betaine
Cetearyl Olivate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Glycerin
Acacia Senegal Gum
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Hydrolyzed Rhizobian Gum
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Silybum Marianum Seed Oil
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Algae Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Caffeine
Sclerotium Gum
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
Tocopherol
Thioctic Acid
Ubiquinone
Cetyl Palmitate
Sorbitan Palmitate
Sodium Phytate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Squalane
Salicylic Acid
Sorbic Acid
Benzyl Alcohol
Citric Acid
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Rhizobian Gum, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Algae Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caffeine, Sclerotium Gum, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Thioctic Acid, Ubiquinone, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Squalane, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Dimethicone
Sodium PCA
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Sodium Polyacrylate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Glucosyl Hesperidin
Copper Gluconate
Troxerutin
Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate
Resveratrol
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Phytic Acid
Beta-Glucan
Acetyl Glucosamine
Allantoin
Adenosine
Dextran
Sea Whip Extract
Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Xanthan Gum
Cetearyl Alcohol
Maltodextrin
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Dimethicone, Sodium PCA, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Copper Gluconate, Troxerutin, Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Phytic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Adenosine, Dextran, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sea Whip Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Maltodextrin, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Be the first to review
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
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%.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
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.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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!