Skin science article
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Creme Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Creme Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate ski
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Creme Versus Paula's Choice Probiotic Nutrient Moisturizer
This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Bifida Ferment Lysate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Dimethicone
Glycerin
Isohexadecane
Butylene Glycol
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Disteardimonium Hectorite
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Hibiscus Sinensis Flower Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Whey Protein
Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract
Acetyl Glucosamine
Tocopheryl Acetate
Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract
Squalane
Algae Extract
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Silybum Marianum Extract
Gelidiella Acerosa Extract
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Caffeine
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
Sodium Lactate
Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Sorbitol
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
Sucrose
Sodium PCA
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Pentylene Glycol
Caprylyl Glycol
Propylene Carbonate
Polyethylene
Polysilicone-11
PEG-32
PEG-6
Disodium EDTA
Isoceteth-20
Isododecane
Citric Acid
Parfum
BHT
Sodium Citrate
Potassium Sorbate
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
CI 77491
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Hibiscus Sinensis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Whey Protein, Opuntia Tuna Fruit Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Squalane, Algae Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Silybum Marianum Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Caffeine, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Sodium Lactate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sucrose, Sodium PCA, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Carbonate, Polyethylene, Polysilicone-11, PEG-32, PEG-6, Disodium EDTA, Isoceteth-20, Isododecane, Citric Acid, Parfum, BHT, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491
Isoamyl Laurate
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
Cetyl Alcohol
Lauroyl Lysine
Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Lactobacillus Ferment
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Glucomannan
Saccharomyces Lysate
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10
Ceramide Ng
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Palmitoyl Proline
Glycine
Serine
Threonine
Alanine
Valine
Arginine
Proline
Lysine Hcl
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
Niacinamide
Adenosine
Lecithin
Phytic Acid
Yeast Extract
Faex
Tocopherol
PCA
Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate
Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Glutamic Acid
Betaine
Glyceryl Stearate
Hydroxyacetophenone
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Ceteth-20
Steareth-20
Polysorbate 20
PEG-75 Stearate
Propylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Water, Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Cetyl Alcohol, Lauroyl Lysine, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glucomannan, Saccharomyces Lysate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Ceramide Ng, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Proline, Glycine, Serine, Threonine, Alanine, Valine, Arginine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Adenosine, Lecithin, Phytic Acid, Yeast Extract, Faex, Tocopherol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Magnesium Palmitoyl Glutamate, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glutamic Acid, Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Polysorbate 20, PEG-75 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
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.
Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Sodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
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!