Clarins Double Serum Light Texture Anti-Aging Serum Versus Kiehl's Micro-Dose Anti-Aging Retinol Serum with Ceramides and Peptide

Clarins Double Serum Light Texture Anti-Aging Serum Versus Kiehl's Micro-Dose Anti-Aging Retinol Serum with Ceramides and Peptide

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Ascorbic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Ceramide NP to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

C9-12 Alkane

Undecane

Glycerin

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Isononyl Isononanoate

Tridecane

Pentylene Glycol

Squalane

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Butylene Glycol

Parfum

Dipsacus Sylvestris Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Propanediol

Silybum Marianum Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Tromethamine

Tocopheryl Acetate

Escin

Carbomer

Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Xanthan Gum

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract

Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables

Caramel

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Disodium EDTA

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract

Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract

Citric Acid

Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Maltodextrin

Orthosiphon Stamineus Extract

Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract

Salicornia Herbacea Extract

Mangifera Indica Leaf Extract

Jania Rubens Extract

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Ascorbic Acid

Sodium Citrate

Tocopherol

Potassium Sorbate

Engelhardtia Chrysolepis Leaf Extract

CI 14700

Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract

Water, C9-12 Alkane, Undecane, Glycerin, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Tridecane, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Dipsacus Sylvestris Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tromethamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Escin, Carbomer, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Xanthan Gum, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables, Caramel, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Disodium EDTA, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract, Citric Acid, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Orthosiphon Stamineus Extract, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Mangifera Indica Leaf Extract, Jania Rubens Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Engelhardtia Chrysolepis Leaf Extract, CI 14700, Callicarpa Japonica Fruit Extract

Niacinamide

Cetyl Alcohol

Isohexadecane

Diisopropyl Sebacate

2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol

4-T-Butylcyclohexanol

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Adenosine

Ceramide NP

Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine

Lauroyl Lysine

Octyldodecanol

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hydroxide

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Retinol

Dicaprylyl Ether

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Behenyl Alcohol

Caprylyl Glycol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Glycine Soja Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Lecithin

Phenethyl Alcohol

Poloxamer 188

Polycaprolactone

Sorbitan Laurate

Steareth-100

CI 40800

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Isohexadecane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Adenosine, Ceramide NP, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Lauroyl Lysine, Octyldodecanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Retinol, Tocopherol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Behenyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycine Soja Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Poloxamer 188, Polycaprolactone, Sorbitan Laurate, Steareth-100, CI 40800, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Isononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.

As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.

Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.

It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.

As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.

This ingredient is oil-soluble.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

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.

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!

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