Garnier SkinActive Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream Versus Current State Peptide + Caffeine Firming Eye Cream

Garnier SkinActive Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream Versus Current State Peptide + Caffeine Firming Eye Cream

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Caffeine to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Caffeine to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil

Niacinamide

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Silica

CI 77891

Isohexadecane

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol

Caffeine

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Propylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tocopherol

Chlorphenesin

Polysorbate 80

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Triethanolamine

CI 77492

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract

Adenosine

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid

Mica

Sorbitan Oleate

Musa Paradisiaca Fruit Juice

Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Lactic Acid

Tin Oxide

Potassium Sorbate

Aluminum Hydroxide

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Niacinamide, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Silica, CI 77891, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Caffeine, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 80, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Triethanolamine, CI 77492, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Mica, Sorbitan Oleate, Musa Paradisiaca Fruit Juice, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Tin Oxide, Potassium Sorbate, Aluminum Hydroxide

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Stearate

Oenothera Biennis Oil

C15-19 Alkane

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Rosa Canina Fruit Oil

Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract

Phyllanthus Emblica Extract

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Oryza Sativa Extract

Superoxide Dismutase

Soybean Peroxidase

Maltodextrin

Lactobacillus Ferment

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate

Xanthan Gum

Ethylhexylglycerin

Isoamyl Cocoate

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

Isoamyl Laurate

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caffeine, Oenothera Biennis Oil, C15-19 Alkane, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Malpighia Glabra Fruit Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Oryza Sativa Extract, Superoxide Dismutase, Soybean Peroxidase, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isoamyl Cocoate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Isoamyl Laurate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol

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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.

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.

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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