No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer

No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream Versus Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 + Peptide Night Moisturizer

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Ascorbyl Glucoside and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cyclopentasiloxane

Steareth-21

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethicone

Steareth-2

Glyceryl Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Polyacrylamide

Butylene Glycol

Alcohol Denat.

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Phenoxyethanol

Dimethiconol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Laureth-7

Parfum

Propylene Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Pentylene Glycol

Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Retinyl Palmitate

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sorbitan Laurate

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Carbomer

Dipropylene Glycol

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Xanthan Gum

Polysorbate 20

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Morus Alba Leaf Extract

Tocopherol

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Steareth-21, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Steareth-2, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., C13-14 Isoparaffin, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethiconol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Laureth-7, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Hibiscus Abelmoschus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Retinyl Palmitate, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbitan Laurate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Carbomer, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Tapioca Starch

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Retinol

Retinyl Propionate

Niacinamide

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

DMDM Hydantoin

Laureth-4

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Aminomethyl Propanol

Titanium Dioxide

Disodium EDTA

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Retinol, Retinyl Propionate, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, DMDM Hydantoin, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Laureth-7, Dimethiconol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Aminomethyl Propanol, Titanium Dioxide, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

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.

C13-14 Isoparaffin is a synthetic emollient, solvent, and thickening agent. It helps soften skin and improves spreadability without leaving a greasy residue.

This ingredient has been found to be non-sensitizing and safe for use in cosmetics.

Two things floating around online that cause fear-mongering:

There's one scary-sounding study related to kidney tumors in male rats; this depends on a protein called alpha-2u-globulin that binds the ingredient and clogs up kidney cells. Female rats barely make this protein, and humans don't make it at all so this effect cannot happen to us. Regulatory bodies have states this rat-only pathway shouldn't be used to judge human risk.

The other thing you'll see is 1,4-dioxane being a trace byproduct that can form during manufacturing of petroleum-derived ingredients. This is a real, but heavily managed/monitored issue. This byproduct is removed through purification steps before the ingredients goes into the formula. Regulatory bodies also actively monitor residual levels for safety.

One last thing to note: this ingredient is a pure hydrocarbon with no fatty-acid or ester chains for Malassezia to feed on, so it's considered fungal acne safe.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

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.

Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.

This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.

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.

Laureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.

This ingredient is an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient. As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent ingredients from separating. It also helps cleanse the skin by gathering dirt, oil, and pollutants to be rinsed away.

Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer. It is used to stabilize products and bind ingredients. When hydrated, Polyacrylamide forms a soft gel.

Polyacrylamide is low-toxicity. If source properly, it is deemed safe to use in cosmetics.

It should be noted the precursor to Polyacrylamide is acrylamide. Acrylamide is a carcinogen. Most reputable sources of Polyacrylamide will screen for residual acrylamide to make sure the count is in a safe range. Acrylamide is not able to be absorbed through the skin.

We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.

It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.

The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.

Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).

True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.

Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.

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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