Derma E Vitamin C No Dark Circles Perfecting Eye Cream Versus Derma E Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Patches

Derma E Vitamin C No Dark Circles Perfecting Eye Cream Versus Derma E Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Patches

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to fade the look of dark spots and brighten dull-looking skin.

This brightening eye mask is formulated around Niacinamide and Caffeine to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Coco-Caprylate

Titanium Dioxide

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Cocoglycerides

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ceteareth-6 Olivate

Diethylhexyl Succinate

Lauryl Glucoside

Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate

Kaolin

Bentonite

Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate

Triheptanoin

Curcumin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Niacinamide

Glycerin

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Panthenol

Sorbitol

Mica

Tocopheryl Acetate

Xanthan Gum

Jojoba Esters

Sodium Phytate

Alumina

Asparagopsis Armata Extract

Caffeine

Silica

Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Citrus Grandis Peel Oil

Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil

Benzyl Acetate

Geraniol

Lavandula Hybrida Oil

Citral

Linalool

Decanal

Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil

Potassium Sorbate

Tin Oxide

Iron Oxides

C13-16 Isoparaffin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Coco-Caprylate, Titanium Dioxide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cocoglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-6 Olivate, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Kaolin, Bentonite, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Triheptanoin, Curcumin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Panthenol, Sorbitol, Mica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Phytate, Alumina, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Caffeine, Silica, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Reticulata Leaf Oil, Benzyl Acetate, Geraniol, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citral, Linalool, Decanal, Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Tin Oxide, Iron Oxides, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Carrageenan

Butylene Glycol

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract

Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Extract

Ceratonia Siliqua Gum

Allantoin

Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract

Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract

Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract

Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum

Arginine

Chlorphenesin

Cellulose Gum

CI 77491

Caprylyl Glycol

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Sucrose

Ascorbic Acid

1,2-Hexanediol

Hexylene Glycol

Propanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Dextrin

Cyclodextrin

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Calcium Chloride

Disodium EDTA

Water, Glycerin, Carrageenan, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Allantoin, Caffeine, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Mica, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Arginine, Chlorphenesin, Cellulose Gum, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, Tin Oxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sucrose, Ascorbic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hexylene Glycol, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Dextrin, Cyclodextrin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Calcium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Mica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.

Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.

This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.

Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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.

Tin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.

Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.

Titanium Dioxide (TD) is a mineral UV filter widely used in sunscreens and cosmetics.

It's one of only two UV filters officially classified as "mineral" by regulatory agencies (the other being Zinc Oxide).

A really common myth is that mineral filters work by reflecting UV light off your skin like tiny mirrors.

They don't only do that; modern research shows TD protects mostly by absorbing UV radiation, the same way chemical filters do.

When researchers measured this, reflection accounted for only about 4-5% of the protection (and less than SPF 2 on its own). The other ~95% comes from absorption: the UV photons hit the particle and their energy gets soaked up by its semiconductor band gap rather than bouncing off.

So "reflects vs. absorbs" was never really the right way to split mineral from chemical filters.

TD gives broad-spectrum protection that's strongest in the UVB and UVA-2 range and weaker in the UVA-1 range. Its UVA protection isn't quite as strong as Zinc Oxide's which is why you'll often see the two paired together.

Together, they make a solid broad-spectrum system.

TD is a great pick for sensitive, acne-prone, or redness-prone skin because it's non-irritating and chemically inert. Regulatory reviews classify it as a non-sensitizer and mild-to-non-irritant.

It's also unlikely to cause the "eye sting" some chemical filters are known for.

The main trade-off is cosmetic; TD can leave a white cast and has a thicker texture. This is why mineral sunscreens are often less cosmetically elegant than chemical or hybrid formulas (and harder to shade-match on deeper skin tones).

Formulators often use micronized or nano-sized TD to cut down on white case and improve spreadability. Smaller particles scatter less visible light so the formula looks less chalky while still filtering UV.

TD is almost always bundled with coatings like Alumina, Silica, Stearic Acid, or Dimethicone. These coatings do two important jobs:

TD can be used at up to 25% in a finished sunscreen; this is the regulatory ceiling in both the US and the EU.

In practice, the amount in any given product varies a lot depending on the target SPF and whether it's paired with other UV filters.

TD is one of the most heavily vetted sunscreen ingredients out there. It is approved as a UV filter in all major markets worldwide, including the US, EU, UK, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and Canada.

The safety evidence is solid. There was an old worry that nano particles might absorb through skin into the body but multiple studies (including on damaged, sunburned, and UV-irradiated skin) have shown that TD stays on the surface and the layer of dead skin cells on top of everything else.

There's also no evidence of carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity from dermal exposure of this ingredient.

For those who have seen the headline about a 2022 EU ban on TD, that was on TD as a food additive (a complete separate use from topical sunscreen).

There are ongoing questions about how nano-TD might affect marine ecosystems. As of now, there has been no conclusive evidence that any form of TD (or any other sunscreen filter) harms coral reefs or marine life.

The science is still developing and it's a space worth watching rather than packing over.

However, several destinations have reef-safety sunscreen rules that restrict certain chemical filters and steer visitors toward mineral, non-nano options. If you're traveling somewhere with these rules, a non-nano mineral sunscreen is the safe bet.

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