Global Beauty Care Lift & Firm Eye Cream With Collagen & Peptides Versus Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye™

Global Beauty Care Lift & Firm Eye Cream With Collagen & Peptides Versus Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye™

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Peptide and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Dipeptide-2 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Petrolatum

Dimethicone

Sea Silt

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Milk Protein Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Tocopheryl Acetate

Avena Sativa Peptide

Polyacrylamide

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Phenoxyethanol

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Carbomer

Arginine

Laureth-7

Glycolic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Retinol

2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Sea Silt, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Milk Protein Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Tocopheryl Acetate, Avena Sativa Peptide, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Arginine, Laureth-7, Glycolic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Retinol, 2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Silicate

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Sodium Magnesium Fluorosilicate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Dipeptide-2

Ascorbic Acid

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Retinyl Palmitate

Panthenol

Foeniculum Vulgare Seed Extract

Medicago Sativa Seed Extract

Carrageenan

Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract

PEG-8 Dimethicone

Silica

Octyldodecanol

Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract

Sodium Propoxyhydroxypropyl Thiosulfate Silica

BHT

Disodium EDTA

Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein

Steareth-20

Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Silicate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Magnesium Fluorosilicate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Dipeptide-2, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Retinyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Foeniculum Vulgare Seed Extract, Medicago Sativa Seed Extract, Carrageenan, Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Silica, Octyldodecanol, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Sodium Propoxyhydroxypropyl Thiosulfate Silica, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Steareth-20, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Carbomer, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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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