Clinique Smart Clinical Repair SPF 15 Wrinkle Correcting Cream Versus Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Tri-Peptide Face And Neck Creme SPF 15

Clinique Smart Clinical Repair SPF 15 Wrinkle Correcting Cream Versus Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Tri-Peptide Face And Neck Creme SPF 15

This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Homosalate

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Glycerin

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

Butylene Glycol

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Polyester-8

Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Acrylates Copolymer

Dextrin Palmitate

PEG-100 Stearate

Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

7-Dehydrocholesterol

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Caffeine

Caprylyl Glycol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Lauroyl Lysine

Saccharomyces Ferment

Whey Protein

Algae Extract

Plankton Extract

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Silica

Pentylene Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Glyceryl Stearate

Lecithin

Polysorbate 20

PPG-8-Ceteth-20

Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate

Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate

PEG-8

Carbomer

Dehydroxanthan Gum

Dipropylene Glycol

Potassium Hydroxide

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Stearyl Alcohol

Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Tocopheryl Acetate

BHT

Sodium Citrate

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Polyester-8, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Acrylates Copolymer, Dextrin Palmitate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Caffeine, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Lauroyl Lysine, Saccharomyces Ferment, Whey Protein, Algae Extract, Plankton Extract, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Silica, Pentylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Polysorbate 20, PPG-8-Ceteth-20, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate, PEG-8, Carbomer, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Stearyl Alcohol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

Octocrylene

Cetyl Alcohol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Polyethylene

Di-C12-15 Alkyl Fumarate

Petrolatum

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Propanediol

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Octyldodecyl Myristate

Hexyldecyl Stearate

Behenyl Alcohol

Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract

Polygonum Aviculare Extract

Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Lactoperoxidase

Glucose Oxidase

Cholesterol

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate

Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate

Glucose

Artemia Extract

Acetyl Glucosamine

Persea Gratissima Oil

Dimethicone

C12-16 Alcohols

Trehalose

Ethylhexylglycerin

Palmitic Acid

Glycine Soja Sterols

Isohexadecane

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2

Zinc PCA

Polysilicone-11

Polysorbate 80

Faex Extract

Potato Starch Modified

Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl

Xanthan Gum

Parfum

Sodium Hydroxide

Potassium Sulfate

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Dextran

CI 14700

Mica

CI 77891

Water, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyethylene, Di-C12-15 Alkyl Fumarate, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Lactoperoxidase, Glucose Oxidase, Cholesterol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Algae Extract, Artemia Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Dimethicone, C12-16 Alcohols, Trehalose, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Caffeine, Palmitic Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Caprylyl Glycol, Isohexadecane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc PCA, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 80, Faex Extract, Potato Starch Modified, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sulfate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Dextran, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, Mica, CI 77891

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".

It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.

The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.

So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.

A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:

While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).

Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.

Algae Extract is a confusing name. This is because algae is an informal term for a group of 30,000 aquatic organisms that can photosynthesize.

The term 'algae extract' can refer to any one, or a blend of, the 30,000 types.

Algae is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Algae can also help with soothing and hydrating skin.

Many different types of algae have different benefits.

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.

The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.

However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is an oil-soluble used to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays (peak 357 nm).

It's one of the most effective UVA filters available but has a major caveat of photostability: avobenzone is susceptible to photodegradation.

This means it can lose efficacy when exposed to sunlight without the help of a stabilizing agent.

Studies show antioxidants (like vitamin E or vitamin C) and some UV filters (like octocrylene and Tinosorb S) can meaningfully improve its stability in a formulation.

The maximum allowable concentration according to regulation is 3% in the US + Canada, and 5% in the EU, Australia, China, Korea, and ASEAN countries.

It has a well-support safety profile: a comprehensive 2025 review found minimal toxicity with no evidence of carcinogenicity.

Overall, avobenzone is a safe and regulated ingredient used in sunscreen for over 40 years.

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.

Butyloctyl Salicylate is a chemical UV filter structurally similar to octisalate. It is a photostabilizer, SPF booster, emollient and solvent. This ingredient helps evenly spread out ingredients.

According to a manufacturer, it is suitable for pairing with micro Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and pigments.

Photostabilizers help stabilize UV-filters and prevents them from degrading quickly.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.

As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.

Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.

You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.

Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.

Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.

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).

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Ethylhexyl Salicylate (also called Octisalate or Octyl Salicylate) is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that's been used in sunscreen since the 1950's.

It absorbs UVB light in the 280-320 nm range with a peak absorbance around 306 nm.

You'll often see it paired with other UV filters to boost overall SPF because octisalate is a fairly week filter on its own.

The reason you'll see it so often is because it can help solubilize and stabilize the trickier filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone.

Unlike these filters, octisalate has pretty good photostability and doesn't create skin-damaging free radicals when exposed to sunlight.

The fatty-alcohol part of the molecule also gives it a light, emollient feel so it doubles as a nice texture enhancer.

Usage levels vary around the world:

Safety-wise, this ingredient has a pretty reassuring track record. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) found very low skin penetration in human skin tests and negative results for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.

The real-world allergy risk is pretty low too; a 2012 European study of 1,031 people recorded only 2 reactions to it (a rate of 0.19%).

You might have seen scary headlines about sunscreen getting into your blood.

In 2019, the FDA found that several chemical filters can absorb through the skin and show up in the bloodstream at small but measurable levels.

Here's the important part: these tiny levels are just a cutoff the FDA uses to decide which ingredients need more testing and doesn't mean anything harmful was found.

The researchers were clear that the results are no reason to stop wearing sunscreen.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Hexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.

It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.

As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.

Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.

This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.

A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.

PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

We don't have a description for Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract yet.

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.

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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