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La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream Versus Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream

La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream Versus Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin 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

La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Eye Cream Versus Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin 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 Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking 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

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Persea Gratissima Oil

Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Ceteareth-6 Olivate

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Glycine Soja Sterols

Linoleic Acid

Phospholipids

Ceramide NP

Glycine Soja Protein

Ceramide AP

Phytosphingosine

Cholesterol

Ceramide EOP

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate

Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Panthenol

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone

Dipeptide-2

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Fragaria Ananassa Seed Extract

Medicago Sativa Extract

Morus Alba Leaf Extract

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Ubiquinone

Superoxide Dismutase

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Phytic Acid

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Thioctic Acid

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

Chrysin

Mica

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Titanium Dioxide

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Sodium Benzoate

Carbomer

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Dextran Sulfate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Steareth-20

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Citric Acid

Chlorphenesin

Polysorbate 60

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ceteareth-6 Olivate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Ceramide NP, Glycine Soja Protein, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ubiquinone, Superoxide Dismutase, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Phytic Acid, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Thioctic Acid, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Chrysin, Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Titanium Dioxide, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Steareth-20, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin

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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.

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).

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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
  4. 04Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
  5. 05In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
  6. 06While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
  7. 07Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
  8. 08This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
  9. 09This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures…
  10. 10Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
  11. 11Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
  12. 12However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
  13. 13Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
  14. 14In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
  15. 15While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
  16. 16Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
  17. 17Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
  18. 18However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's…
  19. 19Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  20. 20The 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 …
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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