KIKO Milano Smart Charge Drops Versus Rodial Pink Diamond Instant lifting Serum

KIKO Milano Smart Charge Drops Versus Rodial Pink Diamond Instant lifting Serum

This hydrating serum is formulated around Squalane to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This brightening serum is formulated around Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Squalane

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil

Zingiber Officinale Water

Glycerin

Polysilicone-11

Phenyl Trimethicone

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Tocopheryl Acetate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Parfum

BHT

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Hydroxide

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Sodium Phytate

Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil

Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dehydroacetic Acid

Laureth-12

Bidens Pilosa Extract

Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil

Silica

Alcohol

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Helichrysum Italicum Extract

Tocopherol

CI 19140

Water, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Water, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, BHT, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Sodium Phytate, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Laureth-12, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Silica, Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Helichrysum Italicum Extract, Tocopherol, CI 19140

Butylene Glycol

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Carbomer

Mica

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract

Cyclopentasiloxane

Buteth-3

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Pvp

Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate

Ethylhexyl Cocoate

Disodium EDTA

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Dimethiconol

Propylene Glycol

Tributyl Citrate

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate

Citronellol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Mica, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Buteth-3, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Pvp, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Disodium EDTA, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Silica, Dimethiconol, Propylene Glycol, Tributyl Citrate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Citronellol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.

This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.

As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.

The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.

This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.

It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.

Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.

Dehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.

As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.

It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.

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.

This ingredient is a powder used to improve texture, slip, and give products a silky texture.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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.

Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.

Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.

The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.

It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.

In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

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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