NourishMax Night Firming Mask Versus IMAGE skincare Ageless Total Repair Crème

NourishMax Night Firming Mask Versus IMAGE skincare Ageless Total Repair Crème

This anti-aging overnight mask is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Propanediol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Ethyl Macadamiate

Caprylyl Methicone

Pvp

Polysorbate 20

Glyceryl Caprylate

Steareth-100/PEG-136/Hdi Copolymer

Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract

Malus Domestica Fruit Extract

Zingiber Officinale Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Cetearyl Glucoside

Butylene Glycol

Squalane

PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer

Sclerotium Gum

Lysolecithin

Canola Oil

Pullulan

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Parfum

Potassium Sorbate

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

CI 17200

CI 19140

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Ethyl Macadamiate, Caprylyl Methicone, Pvp, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Caprylate, Steareth-100/PEG-136/Hdi Copolymer, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Zingiber Officinale Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Cetearyl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Sclerotium Gum, Lysolecithin, Canola Oil, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 17200, CI 19140

Glycolic Acid

Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Cyclopentasiloxane

Glyceryl Stearate

PEG-100 Stearate

Stearic Acid

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Sodium Hydroxide

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Isohexadecane

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Persea Gratissima Oil

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Sorbitol

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

Sorbitan Stearate

Polysorbate 80

Polysorbate 60

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Vegetable Oil

Caprylyl Glycol

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sorbitan Oleate

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Hexylene Glycol

Glycine Soja Sterols

Linoleic Acid

Phospholipids

Retinol

Lactic Acid

Cetyl Palmitate

Laureth-23

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Limonene

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract

Ceramide NP

Trideceth-6 Phosphate

Potassium Bitartrate

Titanium Dioxide

Sodium Hyaluronate

Tocopherol

BHT

Palmitic Acid

BHA

Quartz

Ascorbic Acid

Water, Glycolic Acid, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isohexadecane, Squalane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 60, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Vegetable Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Oleate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Lactic Acid, Cetyl Palmitate, Laureth-23, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Limonene, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Trideceth-6 Phosphate, Potassium Bitartrate, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, BHT, Palmitic Acid, BHA, Quartz, Ascorbic Acid

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.

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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

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.

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.

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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