Garnier SkinActive Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream Versus Q + A Seaweed Peptide Eye Gel

Garnier SkinActive Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream Versus Q + A Seaweed Peptide Eye Gel

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 Tripeptide-29 and Fucus Vesiculosus Extract 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

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Tripeptide-29

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Limonium Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Laminaria Digitata Extract

Thymus Serpyllum Extract

Sodium Gluconate

Carbomer

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Alcohol

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Tripeptide-29, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Limonium Vulgare Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Thymus Serpyllum Extract, Sodium Gluconate, Carbomer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, 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.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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