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e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Eye Cream Versus Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Eye Cream Versus Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. This anti-aging eye moi

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Eye Cream Versus Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Jojoba Esters

Diisostearyl Malate

C10-18 Triglycerides

Cetearyl Alcohol

Silica

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Soluble Collagen

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Polysorbate 20

Polysorbate 80

Isohexadecane

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Carbomer

Hydroxyacetophenone

Disodium EDTA

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Jojoba Esters, Diisostearyl Malate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Silica, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Isohexadecane, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Disodium EDTA

Propylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Panthenol

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Dimethiconol

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

Phenoxyethanol

CI 61570

Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 61570

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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

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.

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%.

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.

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!

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Comparison edit

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