Skin science article
L'Oreal Revitalift Clinical 12% Pure Vitamin C Serum Versus Olay Niacinamide + Vitamin C Brightening Face Moisturiser
L'Oreal Revitalift Clinical 12% Pure Vitamin C Serum Versus Olay Niacinamide + Vitamin C Brightening Face Moisturiser This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Salicylic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles. Th
L'Oreal Revitalift Clinical 12% Pure Vitamin C Serum Versus Olay Niacinamide + Vitamin C Brightening Face Moisturiser
This brightening serum is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Salicylic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Ascorbic Acid
Dimethicone
Glycerin
Alcohol Denat.
Potassium Hydroxide
Polysilicone-11
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Adenosine
Sodium Hyaluronate
Tocopherol
Silica
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Butylene Glycol
Caprylyl Glycol
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Laureth-7
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Poloxamer 338
Polyacrylamide
Sorbitan Laurate
Xanthan Gum
Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Salicylic Acid
Parfum
Water, Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Polysilicone-11, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Silica, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Laureth-7, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Poloxamer 338, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Salicylic Acid, Parfum
Isohexadecane
Niacinamide
Lactic Acid
Isopropyl Isostearate
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Stearyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol
Sodium Lactate
Panthenol
Behenyl Alcohol
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Dimethiconol
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Glucoside
Palmitic Acid
Sodium Benzoate
Stearic Acid
Trehalose
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Isostearate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Panthenol, Behenyl Alcohol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethiconol, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Parfum, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Trehalose, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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!