Skin science article
Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Serum Versus The INKEY List Retinol Serum
Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Serum Versus The INKEY List Retinol Serum This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This anti-aging serum is formulated around
Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Deep Wrinkle Serum Versus The INKEY List Retinol Serum
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Retinol to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Retinyl Acetate and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dipropylene Glycol
Dimethicone
Isononyl Isononanoate
Adipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Squalane
Glycerin
Bisabolol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Chloride
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Citrate
Erythorbic Acid
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
BHT
Retinol
Tocopherol
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Adipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Squalane, Glycerin, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Citrate, Erythorbic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, BHT, Retinol, Tocopherol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Butylene Glycol
Propanediol
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Retinyl Acetate
Phenoxyethanol
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Phospholipids
Glycine Soja Oil
Carbomer
Polysorbate 60
Tocopheryl Acetate
Glycolipids
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium Phytate
Sorbitan Isostearate
Glycine Soja Sterols
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Lactate
Polysorbate 20
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Retinyl Acetate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phospholipids, Squalane, Glycine Soja Oil, Carbomer, Polysorbate 60, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycolipids, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
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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.
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.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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!