Skin science article
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Overnight Cream Versus Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300-Peptide Cream
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Overnight Cream Versus Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300-Peptide Cream This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate sk
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Overnight Cream Versus Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300-Peptide Cream
This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Cyclopentasiloxane
Glycerin
Dimethicone
PEG-8 Dimethicone
Butylene Glycol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
PPG-2 Isoceteth-20 Acetate
Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate
Tridecyl Trimellitate
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Caprylyl Glycol
Caprylyl Methicone
Carbomer
Cetearyl Glucoside
Cyclohexasiloxane
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Dimethiconol
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Stearate
Hexylene Glycol
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinoyl Dipalmitoyl Glycerate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Isohexadecane
Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Mica
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Parfum
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-8
Phenyl Trimethicone
Phospholipids
Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate
Polyquaternium-51
Polysorbate 60
Propylene Glycol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium PCA
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Sucrose
Tocopheryl Acetate
Trehalose
Tridecyl Stearate
Urea
Xanthan Gum
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Linalool
Benzoic Acid
Chlorphenesin
Methylparaben
Phenoxyethanol
CI 77492
CI 14700
CI 77891
CI 19140
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, PPG-2 Isoceteth-20 Acetate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylyl Methicone, Carbomer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinoyl Dipalmitoyl Glycerate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Isohexadecane, Lactobacillus/Lemon Peel Ferment Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Mica, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Parfum, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8, Phenyl Trimethicone, Phospholipids, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Polyquaternium-51, Polysorbate 60, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Sucrose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trehalose, Tridecyl Stearate, Urea, Xanthan Gum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77492, CI 14700, CI 77891, CI 19140
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Alcohol Denat.
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Niacinamide
Isopropyl Palmitate
Octyldodecanol
Cyclodextrin
Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Pisum Sativum Extract
Adenosine
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Cera Alba
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis Butter
Citric Acid
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Sorbitan Isostearate
Tocopherol
Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer
Benzyl Alcohol
Geraniol
Limonene
Dipropylene Glycol
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Alcohol Denat., Cetearyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Cyclodextrin, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Pisum Sativum Extract, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cera Alba, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Butter, Cetearyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Limonene, Chlorphenesin, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
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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.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
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.
This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
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.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
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!