First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream Versus Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream

First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream Versus Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream

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

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Dimethicone

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Silica

Enteromorpha Compressa Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Sodium PCA

Alpha-Arbutin

Niacinamide

Bisabolol

Phenyl Methicone

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Caprylyl Methicone

Butylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine

Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum

Sodium Isostearate

Polysorbate 60

Sodium Lactate

Carbomer

Polysilicone-11

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Polysorbate 20

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Hydroxide

Xanthan Gum

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium PCA, Alpha-Arbutin, Niacinamide, Bisabolol, Phenyl Methicone, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Methicone, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Sodium Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Polysilicone-11, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Squalane

Sorbitan Olivate

Cetearyl Olivate

Jojoba Esters

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Panthenol

Cetyl Palmitate

Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Sorbitan Palmitate

Dunaliella Salina Extract

Astaxanthin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tocopherol

Citric Acid

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Palmitate, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sorbitan Palmitate, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Astaxanthin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Citric Acid

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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