Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Farm Stay Black Snail Premium Rolling Eye Serum Versus Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel

Farm Stay Black Snail Premium Rolling Eye Serum Versus Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Snail Secretion Filtrate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin. This anti-aging eye moisturiz

Farm Stay Black Snail Premium Rolling Eye Serum Versus Olay Eyes Deep Hydrating Eye Gel

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Snail Secretion Filtrate 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

Glycereth-26

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Dipropylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Sea Water

Trehalose

Sodium Hyaluronate

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Squalane

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Dimethiconol

Polysorbate 60

Butylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

1,2-Hexanediol

Carbomer

Arginine

Hydroxyacetophenone

Adenosine

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Parfum

Water, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Sea Water, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Squalane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 60, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum

Propylene Glycol

Panthenol

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

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

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.

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.

Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.

This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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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The reference edit

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Comparison edit

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