Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment Versus PCA Skin Retinol Treatment For Sensitive Skin

Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment Versus PCA Skin Retinol Treatment For Sensitive Skin

This anti-aging overnight mask is formulated around Squalane and Avena Sativa Kernel Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging treatment is formulated around Retinol and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Diisostearyl Malate

Pentylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Zea Mays Kernel Extract

Squalane

Propanediol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Glyceryl Ricinoleate

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Retinal

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract

Phosphatidylcholine

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Mannitol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Glyceryl Stearate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Cetyl Alcohol

Hectorite

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Chloride

Polysorbate 60

Sorbitan Isostearate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Chlorphenesin

Potassium Sorbate

Citronellol

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Parfum

Water, Diisostearyl Malate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Squalane, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Retinal, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract, Phosphatidylcholine, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Mannitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hectorite, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Parfum

Isododecane

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Niacinamide

Isoamyl Laurate

Tapioca Starch Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Dimethicone

PEG-8

Panthenol

PEG-100 Stearate

Polysilicone-11

Hexylresorcinol

Phenoxyethanol

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Bisabolol

Tocopherol

Hexyldecanol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Sodium Polyacrylate

Butylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate

Caprylyl Glycol

Isoamyl Cocoate

Ethylhexyl Stearate

Ceramide NP

Propyl Gallate

Retinol

Polysorbate 20

Sodium Phytate

4-T-Butylcyclohexanol

Trideceth-6

Decyl Glucoside

Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide

Brassica Campestris Sterols

Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid

Stearic Acid

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Water, Isododecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Tapioca Starch Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, PEG-8, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysilicone-11, Hexylresorcinol, Phenoxyethanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Hexyldecanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Isoamyl Cocoate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Ceramide NP, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Propyl Gallate, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Trideceth-6, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Potassium Sorbate, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Stearic Acid, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract is is derived from colloidal oatmeal. Besides being a healthy breakfast, oats have many benefits in skincare too.

This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.

The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.

Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our skin from free-radical damage.

Oatmeal also contains beneficial compounds:

This ingredient is created by mixing grounded oatmeal and a liquid base.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like 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.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due 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.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most 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.

Rosacea 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.

However, 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 skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

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.

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