Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel Cream Versus First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream

This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Trehalose and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This brightening eye moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Dimethicone

Glycerin

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Polyacrylamide

Phenoxyethanol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Synthetic Beeswax

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Trehalose

Dimethiconol

Chlorphenesin

Laureth-7

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Hydroxide

C12-14 Pareth-12

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Beeswax, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Trehalose, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Laureth-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, C12-14 Pareth-12

Maris Aqua

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Polysilicone-11

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Mica

Panthenol

Gigartina Stellata/Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract

Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Caffeine

Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Hydroxyacetophenone

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Squalane

Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Lecithin

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

Linoleic Acid

Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides

Silica

Hexylene Glycol

Palmitic Acid

Oleic Acid

Stearic Acid

Sorbitan Isostearate

Polysorbate 60

Triolein

T-Butyl Alcohol

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

CI 77891

CI 77491

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Maris Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysilicone-11, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Panthenol, Gigartina Stellata/Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polycyclopentadiene, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Linoleic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Silica, Hexylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Triolein, T-Butyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, CI 77891, CI 77491

Reviews

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.

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.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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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