Medix 5.5 Vitamin C + Turmeric Body Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Vitamin C + Peptide 24 SPF 30 Moisturizer

Medix 5.5 Vitamin C + Turmeric Body Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Vitamin C + Peptide 24 SPF 30 Moisturizer

This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cetyl Alcohol

Glycerin

Dimethicone

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ceteareth-20

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ascorbic Acid

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ferulic Acid

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate

Isopropyl Myristate

Cetearyl Phosphate

Glyceryl Stearate

Synthetic Beeswax

Carbomer

Xanthan Gum

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Parfum

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Limonene

Linalool

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-20, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ferulic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetearyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Synthetic Beeswax, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Linalool

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%

Homosalate 9%

Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%

Octocrylene 6%

Zea Mays Starch

Niacinamide

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Panthenol

Dimethiconol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Cetearyl Alcohol

Stearic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Stearyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Disodium EDTA

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

PEG-100 Stearate

1,2-Hexanediol

Avena Sativa Peptide

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 9%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%, Octocrylene 6%, Water, Glycerin, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Ascorbic Acid is is pure Vitamin C and is the biologically active form used directly by skin.

Not only is vitamin C great for your overall health and immune system, but it also has plenty of benefits for your skin. It is best supported by academic literature for:

Topical vitamin C has been shown to help neutralize oxidative stress from UV and pollution, helping to improve photoaging and hyperpigmentation when used consistently.

One clinical study found that using 5% topical vitamin C for six months improved signs of photodamaged skin, both on the surface and in the deeper structural layers of the skin.

While vitamin C doesn’t replace sunscreen, studies show it can boost photoprotection when combined with Vitamin E and ferulic acid. These two ingredients help improve stability and protective effects.

The big downside of this ingredient is formulation difficulty. Vitamin C is prone to oxidation and doesn't penetrate the skin unless formulated correctly. Research found that vitamin C absorbs into the skin best at a low pH (< 3.5) with about 20% being the upper limit for effective absorption.

Skin levels can saturate after repeated application; this means your skin won’t keep absorbing more once it’s full of vitamin C. This is why more isn’t always better with vitamin C and why very high concentrations don’t necessarily give extra benefits.

Ascorbic acid generally works well with many skincare ingredients but can be irritating when combined with other active ingredients. Strong oxidizing acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C if they are used at the same time; they are often recommended for use at different times of day.

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Foods rich with vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and more. When consuming Vitamin C, your skin receives a portion of the nutrients.

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).

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

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!

Similar Comparisons