First Aid Beauty Brighten + Glow Eye Cream with Niacinamide Versus L'Oreal Revitalift 2.5% Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Under Eye Serum

First Aid Beauty Brighten + Glow Eye Cream with Niacinamide Versus L'Oreal Revitalift 2.5% Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Under Eye Serum

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Caffeine to brighten dull-looking skin 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

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Maris Aqua

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Polysilicone-11

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Mica

Panthenol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Caffeine

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Citric Acid

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract

Gigartina Stellata/Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Hexylene Glycol

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Hydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene

Hydroxyacetophenone

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Laureth-8

Lecithin

Linoleic Acid

Oleic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Polysorbate 60

Silica

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Squalane

Stearic Acid

Tocopherol

Triolein

Xanthan Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

CI 77491

CI 77891

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Maris Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysilicone-11, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Panthenol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caffeine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Citric Acid, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Gigartina Stellata/Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Laureth-8, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Squalane, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Triolein, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77491, CI 77891

Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Chlorphenesin

Water, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin

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.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.

As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.

Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.

You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.

Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.

Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.

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).

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.

Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.

As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.

Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.

This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.

You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.

Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.

An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.

So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.

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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