Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum Versus Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Eye Cream

This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Retinyl Propionate and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone

Retinyl Propionate

Retinol

Swertia Chirata Leaf Extract

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Glycine Soja Extract

Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract

Isopropyl Palmitate

Lecithin

Pvp

Hexylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Punica Granatum Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer

PEG-8

Carbomer

Sodium Bisulfite

Silica

Sodium Hydroxide

Chlorphenesin

Phenoxyethanol

Parfum

CI 77891

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

CI 14700

CI 19140

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone, Retinyl Propionate, Retinol, Swertia Chirata Leaf Extract, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Glycine Soja Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Pvp, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer, PEG-8, Carbomer, Sodium Bisulfite, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 77891, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 14700, CI 19140

Dimethicone

Niacinamide

Propylene Glycol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Panthenol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Dimethiconol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Polysorbate 20

Laureth-4

Laureth-7

Disodium EDTA

Tapioca Starch

Polyacrylamide

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Aminomethyl Propanol

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Ascorbic Acid

Avena Sativa Peptide

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Tapioca Starch, Polyacrylamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Phenoxyethanol, 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.

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.

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!

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