Kopari Niacinamide & Caffeine Eye Bright Cream Versus The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream

Kopari Niacinamide & Caffeine Eye Bright Cream Versus The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Gluconolactone to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Caffeine and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer

Glycerin

Polysilicone-11

Polysorbate 20

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate

Cocos Nucifera Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Ethylhexylglycerin

Mica

Laureth-12

Piper Cubeba Fruit Extract

Niacinamide

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Apium Graveolens Seed Extract

Cucumis Sativus Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Acmella Oleracea Extract

Gluconolactone

Trihydroxystearin

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Amber Powder

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glucomannan

Linalool

Limonene

CI 77891

Water, Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Silica Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Polysorbate 20, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Mica, Laureth-12, Piper Cubeba Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Apium Graveolens Seed Extract, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Gluconolactone, Trihydroxystearin, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, Linalool, Limonene, CI 77891

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Propanediol

Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate

Cetyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Behenate

Jojoba Esters

Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract

Squalane

Caffeine

Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax

Phospholipids

Xanthan Gum

Glycine Soja Oil

Sodium Phytate

Glycolipids

Butylene Glycol

Citric Acid

Glycine Soja Sterols

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Hyaluronic Acid

Tocopherol

Carbomer

Darutoside

Sodium Lactate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Jojoba Esters, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Squalane, Caffeine, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Phospholipids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja Oil, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phytate, Glycolipids, Sorbitan Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Sterols, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Darutoside, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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 is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

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.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.

In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.

Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.

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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