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Isntree TW - Real Eye Cream Versus Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream

Isntree TW - Real Eye Cream Versus Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and strengthen the skin barrier. This anti-aging eye moisturizer

Isntree TW - Real Eye Cream Versus Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream

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

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Adenosine and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Dipropylene Glycol

Cyclopentasiloxane

Glycerin

Squalane

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Arachidyl Alcohol

Water

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cetearyl Alcohol

C12-16 Alcohols

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Behenyl Alcohol

Erythritol

Polysorbate 60

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Glyceryl Stearate

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Stearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Arachidyl Glucoside

Palmitic Acid

Allantoin

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Illicium Verum Fruit Extract

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Mangifera Indica Seed Butter

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Isohexadecane

Persea Gratissima Oil

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Adenosine

Polysorbate 80

Disodium EDTA

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Ceramide NP

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Sorbitan Oleate

Glucose

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Phosphate

Pentylene Glycol

Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea

Tocopherol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Polysorbate 20

Cholesterol

Lecithin

Phosphatidylcholine

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Astaxanthin

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Bifida Ferment Lysate, Dipropylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-16 Alcohols, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Erythritol, Polysorbate 60, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Arachidyl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Allantoin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Adenosine, Polysorbate 80, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Ceramide NP, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sorbitan Oleate, Glucose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phosphate, Pentylene Glycol, Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Cholesterol, Lecithin, Phosphatidylcholine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Astaxanthin, Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Cyclohexasiloxane

Caprylyl Methicone

Sodium Chloride

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Sodium Citrate

PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Honey Extract

Beta-Glucan

Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract

Glycine

Serine

Glutamic Acid

Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract

Aspartic Acid

Leucine

Alanine

Lysine

Arginine

Tyrosine

Phenylalanine

Proline

Threonine

Valine

Isoleucine

Histidine

Cysteine

Methionine

Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Copper Tripeptide-1

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Sodium Citrate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Honey Extract, Beta-Glucan, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Glycine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Fragaria Vesca Fruit Extract, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Ceramide NP

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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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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%.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.

Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.

The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics

There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.

Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.

The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.

It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.

This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.

Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.

A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Though this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit).

In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.

The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid.

This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.

It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.

Due to its fatty acid content (like oleic acid), this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

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.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

02

Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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