Skin science article
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Vitamin C Eye Serum Versus La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Vitamin C Eye Serum Versus La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the loo
Dermalogica Biolumin-C Vitamin C Eye Serum Versus La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream
This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Madecassoside to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Propanediol
Glycerin
C15-19 Alkane
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Sodium PCA
Trehalose
Poria Cocos Polysaccharide
Papain
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Terminalia Arjuna Extract
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Sodium Hyaluronate
Phytosterols
Algin
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Phytosteryl Oleate
Tocopherol
Serine
Oleic Acid
Inositol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Betaine
Carrageenan
Panthenol
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Methylpropanediol
Proline
Xylitol
Calcium Gluconate
Pantolactone
Lecithin
Xanthan Gum
Pentylene Glycol
Aminomethyl Propanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Polyacrylate-13
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polyisobutene
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Benzoate
Citric Acid
Gluconolactone
Polysorbate 20
Potassium Sorbate
Carbomer
1,2-Hexanediol
Sodium Hydroxide
Limonene
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Trehalose, Poria Cocos Polysaccharide, Papain, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosterols, Algin, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Phytosteryl Oleate, Tocopherol, Serine, Oleic Acid, Inositol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Carrageenan, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Methylpropanediol, Proline, Xylitol, Calcium Gluconate, Pantolactone, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate-13, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
Dimethicone
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Ascorbic Acid
Mannose
Paraffinum Liquidum
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Cetyl Alcohol
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Potassium Hydroxide
Paraffin
Sodium Styrene/Ma Copolymer
Microcrystalline Wax
Madecassoside
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Dimethiconol
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Mannose, Butylene Glycol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Potassium Hydroxide, Paraffin, Sodium Styrene/Ma Copolymer, Microcrystalline Wax, Madecassoside, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol
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.
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.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.