Skin science article
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado Versus Sephora Collection Firming Eye Cream with Peptides
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado Versus Sephora Collection Firming Eye Cream with Peptides This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Persea Gratissima Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado Versus Sephora Collection Firming Eye Cream with Peptides
This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Persea Gratissima Oil to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Butylene Glycol
Tridecyl Stearate
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Isodecyl Salicylate
Tridecyl Trimellitate
Persea Gratissima Oil
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Propylene Glycol
Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Magnesium Sulfate
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Sodium PCA
Phenoxyethanol
Chlorphenesin
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
P-Anisic Acid
Tocopheryl Acetate
Isopropyl Palmitate
Disodium EDTA
Copper PCA
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
CI 40800
Citric Acid
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Tridecyl Stearate, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Isodecyl Salicylate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium PCA, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, P-Anisic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, Copper PCA, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, CI 40800, Citric Acid
C10-18 Triglycerides
Tribehenin
Heptyl Undecylenate
Glycerin
Glyceryl Stearate
Squalane
CI 77891
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Hydroxyacetophenone
Caprylyl Glycol
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Xanthan Gum
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Maltodextrin
Polysorbate 60
Sorbitan Isostearate
Sodium Phytate
Tin Oxide
Tocopherol
Water, C10-18 Triglycerides, Butylene Glycol, Tribehenin, Heptyl Undecylenate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, CI 77891, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium PCA, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Maltodextrin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Phytate, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol
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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.
Sodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
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!