Skin science article
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream Versus Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich Eye Cream
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream Versus Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich Eye Cream This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Madecassoside to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin. This anti-aging eye moist
La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream Versus Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich Eye Cream
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbic Acid and Madecassoside to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Dimethicone
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Ascorbic Acid
Mannose
Butylene Glycol
Paraffinum Liquidum
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Cetyl Alcohol
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Potassium Hydroxide
Paraffin
Sodium Styrene/Ma Copolymer
Microcrystalline Wax
Madecassoside
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Dimethiconol
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Xanthan Gum
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Phenoxyethanol
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Mannose, Butylene Glycol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Potassium Hydroxide, Paraffin, Sodium Styrene/Ma Copolymer, Microcrystalline Wax, Madecassoside, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Phenyl Trimethicone
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Polybutene
Sucrose
Cetyl Esters
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Cetearyl Glucoside
Tocopheryl Acetate
Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Coleus Barbatus Root Extract
Betula Alba Bark Extract
Polysilicone-11
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Salvia Officinalis Leaf
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Faex Extract
Gentiana Lutea Root Extract
Stearic Acid
Milk Protein
Whey Protein
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Squalane
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Cholesterol
Caffeine
PEG-8
Phytosphingosine
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Aminomethyl Propanol
Isomerized Linoleic Acid
Linoleic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
1,2-Hexanediol
Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl
Potassium Sulfate
Sodium Dehydroacetate
CI 19140
Mica
CI 77491
CI 77492
CI 77499
CI 77891
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Polybutene, Sucrose, Cetyl Esters, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, Coleus Barbatus Root Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Polysilicone-11, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Faex Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Milk Protein, Whey Protein, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Squalane, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cholesterol, Caffeine, PEG-8, Phytosphingosine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dimethicone, Isomerized Linoleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Potassium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140, Mica, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891
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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.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
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%.
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.
Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
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.
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!