Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich Eye Cream Versus The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich Eye Cream Versus The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

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

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cetearyl Alcohol

Butylene Glycol

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Phenyl Trimethicone

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax

Polybutene

Sucrose

Cetyl Esters

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Isostearyl Neopentanoate

Glycerin

Cetearyl Glucoside

Tocopheryl Acetate

Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

PEG-100 Stearate

Coleus Barbatus Root Extract

Betula Alba Bark Extract

Polysilicone-11

Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Salvia Officinalis Leaf

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Faex Extract

Gentiana Lutea Root Extract

Stearic Acid

Milk Protein

Whey Protein

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

Squalane

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Cholesterol

Caffeine

PEG-8

Phytosphingosine

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

Dimethicone

Isomerized Linoleic Acid

Linoleic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

1,2-Hexanediol

Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl

Potassium Sulfate

Caprylyl Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Phenoxyethanol

CI 19140

Mica

CI 77491

CI 77492

CI 77499

CI 77891

Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Polybutene, Sucrose, Cetyl Esters, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, Coleus Barbatus Root Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Polysilicone-11, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Faex Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Milk Protein, Whey Protein, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Squalane, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cholesterol, Caffeine, PEG-8, Phytosphingosine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dimethicone, Isomerized Linoleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Potassium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140, Mica, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Pentaerythrityl Distearate

Shea Butter Ethyl Esters

Cetearyl Olivate

Benzyl Alcohol

Sorbitan Olivate

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Copernicia Cerifera Cera

Propanediol

Glycogen

Sodium Gluconate

Retinol

Polysorbate 20

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dehydroacetic Acid

Citric Acid

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate

Tocopherol

Xanthan Gum

Ethyl Ferulate

Humulus Lupulus Extract

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Propanediol, Glycogen, Sodium Gluconate, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Ethyl Ferulate, Humulus Lupulus Extract

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

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.

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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons