First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Eye Cream with Triple Hyalurionic Acid Versus Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux Light-Pearl Eye & Lash Enhancing Concentrate

First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Eye Cream with Triple Hyalurionic Acid Versus Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux Light-Pearl Eye & Lash Enhancing Concentrate

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Glycerin

Squalane

Glyceryl Stearate

Butylene Glycol

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Polysorbate 20

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Retinol

Caffeine

Ceramide Ng

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Tocopherol

Allantoin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Atelocollagen

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder

Linoleic Acid

Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides

Palmitic Acid

Oleic Acid

Stearic Acid

Triolein

Cholesterol

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Lecithin

Sodium Polyacrylate

Polysilicone-11

Xanthan Gum

Caprylyl Glycol

Mica

Ethylhexylglycerin

Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin)

Stearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Polyethylene

Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer

Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Steareth-30

Dipropylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Tin Oxide

Citric Acid

CI 77891

Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glycerin, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinol, Caffeine, Ceramide Ng, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Atelocollagen, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Linoleic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triolein, Cholesterol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polysilicone-11, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Mica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyethylene, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Steareth-30, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, CI 77891

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Propanediol

Alcohol Denat.

Dimethicone

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Escin

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Benzoate

Adenosine

Polyacrylamide

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Dimethiconol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone

BHT

Laureth-7

Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Escin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Caffeine, Polyacrylamide, Chlorphenesin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dimethiconol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, BHT, Laureth-7

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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.

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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.

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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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