Skin science article
IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Hydrating Moisturizer Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream
IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Hydrating Moisturizer Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This brightening eye
IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Hydrating Moisturizer Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Cyclopentasiloxane
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
Glyceryl Stearate
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Stearyl Behenate
Dimethicone
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Polyethylene
PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone
Phenyl Methicone
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Polyquaternium-51
Niacinamide
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Tocopheryl Acetate
Carbomer
PEG-150 Distearate
Ceramide AP
Glycosphingolipids
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Meadowfoam Estolide
Sorbitan Isostearate
Squalane
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Polysorbate 20
Steareth-20
N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Chrysin
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Polysorbate 60
Aleuritic Acid
Yeast Extract
Glycoproteins
Betaine
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Ceramide NP
Allantoin
Colloidal Oatmeal
Retinyl Retinoate
Polylactic Acid
Canola Oil
Cholesteryl Nonanoate
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Eruca Sativa Leaf Extract
Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate
Ceteareth-20
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Glycine Soja Sterols
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Santalum Album Oil
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Cetearyl Glucoside
Glucose
Stearyl Stearate
Tromethamine
Citric Acid
1,2-Hexanediol
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Potassium Sorbate
Dipropylene Glycol
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Ethylhexylglycerin
Caramel
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Caprylyl Glycol
Limonene
Linalool
Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Stearyl Behenate, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Polyethylene, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone, Phenyl Methicone, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyquaternium-51, Niacinamide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, PEG-150 Distearate, Ceramide AP, Glycosphingolipids, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Meadowfoam Estolide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Squalane, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Polysorbate 20, Steareth-20, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Polysorbate 60, Aleuritic Acid, Yeast Extract, Glycoproteins, Betaine, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ceramide NP, Allantoin, Colloidal Oatmeal, Retinyl Retinoate, Polylactic Acid, Canola Oil, Cholesteryl Nonanoate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Eruca Sativa Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Ceteareth-20, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Glycine Soja Sterols, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Santalum Album Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glucose, Stearyl Stearate, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caramel, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Limonene, Linalool
Propylene Glycol
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Panthenol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Dimethiconol
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Laureth-4
Laureth-7
Tapioca Starch
Polyacrylamide
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Aminomethyl Propanol
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Ascorbic Acid
Avena Sativa Peptide
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Tapioca Starch, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
You might know this ingredient as Matrixyl. It is a synthetic peptide made up of five amino acids attached to a palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.
As a signal peptide, Matrixyl acts like a little messenger. Once it reaches your skin cells, it tells them to ramp up production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins that keep skin looking firm and smooth.
A 12 week clinical study found that a moisturizer containing just 3 ppm of Matrixyl led to a significant improvement in fine-lines and wrinkles. Another study showed an 18% reduction in wrinkle depth, 37% reduction in wrinkle thickness, and a 21% improvement in skin firmness after just 28 days of twice-daily use.
The coolest part is that it works at incredibly low concentrations (like 0.0003%) and it plays well with other actives.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel found it to be non-sensitizing across multiple tests and human patch tests also showed no irritation or sensitization.
Fun fact: Matrixyl was originally developed by French company Sederma and Procter & Gamble.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
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!