Elemis Peptide4 Eye Recovery Cream Versus Kinship Brightwave Energizing + Brightening Eye Cream

Elemis Peptide4 Eye Recovery Cream Versus Kinship Brightwave Energizing + Brightening Eye Cream

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Oil and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Coco-Caprylate

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Glyceryl Oleate Citrate

Buglossoides Arvensis Seed Oil

Bellis Perennis Flower Extract

Hieracium Pilosella Extract

Mica

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Panthenol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Hydroxyacetophenone

Phenoxyethanol

Xanthan Gum

Tocopherol

Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil

Sodium Hydroxide

Tocopheryl Acetate

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Matthiola Longipetala Seed Oil

Sodium Dehydroacetate

Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Water, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Buglossoides Arvensis Seed Oil, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Hieracium Pilosella Extract, Mica, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Matthiola Longipetala Seed Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Cetyl Alcohol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Avena Sativa Kernel Oil

Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Diheptyl Succinate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Squalene

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Jania Rubens Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Inonotus Obliquus Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Arachidyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Glucoside

Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters

Phytosteryl Macadamiate

Phytosterols

Benzyl Alcohol

Sodium Carrageenan

Bentonite

Olive Oil Decyl Esters

Hydrated Silica

Lactic Acid

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Sea Salt

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Sodium Phytate

Dehydroacetic Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Squalene, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Jania Rubens Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Carrageenan, Bentonite, Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Hydrated Silica, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Sea Salt, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Sodium Phytate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.

Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.

Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.

Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).

Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.

Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.

Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

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.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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